Forget The Rest
by ZombieMama44
Summary: We were together, I forget the rest. - Walt Whitman With the challenges of life in the new world, surviving was the easy part. Being in love was the most difficult challenge. But as long as they were together, they'd make it. They'd just have to forget the rest.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Well, I'm back with a whole new story! I really hope you guys enjoy it! I do not own anything in relation to The Walking Dead, AMC or The Walking Dead Survival Instinct. I only Own Charlie and my idea for this story! Enjoy and please, please read and review! It makes me happy and what I'm doing worth the while! - ZM

"Hey Sugar Tits, 'nother round for me and my baby brotha 'ere, will ya?" Merle Dixon hollered across the crowded bar to the straight haired blonde bartender with the tight black v-neck tee and painted on blue jeans tucked into leather boots. Merle snickered to the younger man next to him. There was nearly a ten year difference between he and his little brother, but he'd be damned if he wasn't always looking out for him, whether it was in his best interest or not.

The bartender took her time filling Merle's order and when she did she set the pints and shot glasses before them with a slam, spilling some contents to the bar top. "Merle Dixon, you call me Sugar Tits one more time and that curb out that door is gonna have your name on it and it won't be a parking spot."

"Oh come on Charlie, don't be like that. Ya know ya love ol' Merle." Merle chuckled.

"Don't think that for one minute, just because your daddy and my daddy are friends that you can get away with that shit." Charlie shook her head. Merle just laughed and shot back his whiskey, chasing it with his beer. Charlie sighed and watched him leave his stool to chase a red head who'd passed him. She looked to Daryl, Merle's younger brother. "Ya want somethin' to eat, Daryl?" She leaned forward closer to him and spoke softly, "My treat."

He visibly leaned back a little and Charlie stood straight, "Alright."

"What'll it be? Burger and fries? We got that venison cheese steak you like." Charlie offered.

"That'll do." Daryl nodded at the offer. He enjoyed the food at the bar, especially if it was something Charlie had served up. He'd known Charlie a long time, since they were kids. His dad, Will and hers, Jake, were best friends. Hunting buddies and fellow enthusiasts of a good time since high school. Growing up in their little town, everyone grew up together. You either got out of you remained a part of the cycle.

He watched her as she put his order in with the cook and returned to making drinks for the patrons at her bar counter. She was always pretty. Just shorter than he was, even with her boots on, blonde hair with golden streaks, vibrant hazel eyes that changed color with her mood. He often swore they nearly glowed a golden color when she was angry at Merle. Merle always liked to push Charlie's buttons because he thought he could get away with it. Usually, he did. Unless his drug dealing buddies came in with him and Merle would get unruly and his racist mouth would shoot off more so than usual.

Charlie caught a glance of the younger Dixon out of the corner of her eye. He was watching her and she just ignored it. She always had an admiration for him. The way his eyes could tell you his life story, their color a captivating blue. The only downfall was he followed in his brother's shadow. Growing up rough, like she knew they had, Daryl lacked the confidence to be anything but a carbon copy of his dad and brother. It saddened her because she always knew he was worth so much more than a low down, odd job working piece of trailer trash. Which was exactly how she saw Merle. Will, their dad was one mean son of a bitch. Charlie knew he'd beat the boys when they were younger, until Daryl was about twelve or fourteen. They'd lost their mother when Daryl was young, the woman falling asleep with a lit cigarette in her had, passed out from her wine in the mid of day. Burnt the house and everything the boys owned with it. Since then, Merle seemed have been in and out of jail more times than she could count and Will off with her dad on some hunting trip or bender with random women. Daryl, she knew, was often on his own. A lone wolf. He'd learned to be a survivalist and he was a Damn good shot with a crossbow.

"Order up, Charlie." The cook hollered and Charlie grabbed Daryl's food. She set it before him with a bottle of ketchup for his fries.

"Enjoy." She smiled. She glanced over at Merle who was still hitting on the red head. "Think he'll want something?"

"Does he ever?" Daryl said chewing on a fry. Charlie shrugged. "Thanks." He nodded.

"Anytime. You know that." Charlie smiled warmly. "You still out tomorrow?"

Daryl swallowed his bite of the sandwich and nodded. "Your old man goin'?"

"Yeah. Said it was gonna be you, your dad, him and your uncle." Charlie answered. "Bring me back something I can grill up for y'all, huh?"

"Hey Charlie, darlin', turn up that set will ya?" Harry, an older man at the bar asked of her.

Charlie turned from Daryl and stood on a step stool to turn the volume up on the older television set hanging on the wall. There was a news report coming on about another recent attack in Atlanta.

"It seems to be gettin' worse." Harry pointed out as Charlie stepped down. She looked up at the television and sighed but before she could reply to Harry's comment a loud scuffle could be heard coming from the pool tables.

Both Daryl and Charlie looked for the source of the noise and found that Merle had stepped into a scuffle between one of his drug abusing buddies and another bar patron. Charlie, used to these scenes, especially with the older Dixon, grabbed her baseball bat from behind the bar and quickly move to the scuffle. Punches were being thrown, grown burly men were on top of the pool tables. Daryl was quick to help and save his brother from embarrassment and an ass whooping from the blonde.

"HEY!" Charlie yelled. She grabbed the victim and separated him from Merle as Daryl did the same to his brother. "ENOUGH!" Charlie used the bat to keep the men separated, like a pry bar into Merle's chest. "Get out! I warned you. I've told you time and time again, I won't have this shit in my bar."

"Let's go." Daryl scolded. Merle shrugged him off and the two men left the bar, dealer friend in tow.

Later that night, Charlie stood there behind her bar, glass of whiskey in her hand as she looked over the books for the day. It was verging on near three in the morning and her doors had been closed for over an hour. The television was down to a low hum, the news replaying the story Harry was interested in earlier in the day. This time, she caught the images of people coming into the emergency room of Atlanta General with bite wounds and rumors of intense reactions to treatment. Charlie shook her head as she turned her attention back to the books, a side glance back to the report catching the army guard moving in to surround the hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Welcome to those of you who have just burst onto my scene. I hope you're enjoying yourself so far. For those of you returning for this fun adventure, HI! Welcome back! Hope you're loving Charlie as much as I am! Thank you for your reviews, faves and follows. Enjoy chapter 2! I own nothing but Charlie and my idea! AMC, Robert Kirkman and The Walking Dead own everything else! Please leave me a line or two, it keeps me motivated! - ZM

The warm sun touched his face as he broke through the tree line. Daryl and his Uncle Jess had been tracking a deer for the last couple of miles that Daryl's arrow had pierced. Will and Jake headed the opposite direction in order to head it off at the pass in hopes of bringing in the kill. The blood trail was leading them towards the river. If they lost the deer there, Jake and Will would head back with Daryl and Jess towards the cabin. When they reached the river, Jess and Daryl lost sight of the trail, believing the buck headed into the water or back into the woods, the trail going cold. With the other two men not in sight, Daryl and Jess decided to take a break for a moment, stopping to smoke a cigarette and chew some jerky.

"Ya hear what happened to your brotha right?" Jess asked the younger Dixon as he lit a cigarette.

"Yeah, he called. I ain't bailin' him out. Dumbass got himself in there, he can sit 'n wait." Daryl shook his head, taking a hit from his own cigarette. "He was already hot headed when he left to get loaded with Brian."

Jess shook his head. "That boy, he'll die in that shit hole one of these days. Can't get his shit together."

Silence settled between the two men for a moment until Jake and Will busted through the tree line, cackling loudly. 'So much for my deer', Daryl thought. While he and his father had their issues in the past, by the time Daryl was old enough to fight back, he and Will had settled their differences but the scars remained, the relationship tarnished. Daryl went on the hunting trips to just hunt and get away from town. It wasn't by any means a father son relationship or bonding experience. No these hunting trips were to take a moment to do something he loved, to briefly escape the rugged rigors of his life and to survive. Daryl, being alone quite often as a child and young teen, learned how to hunt to survive when Will was off and Merle was locked up. He was better off alone. Better off being a man of nature not stuck in one place for too long and deep inside the city. He had been to Atlanta a few times but always seemed to feel suffocated by the tall buildings and crowds of people.

"What are you two idiots laughing about?" Jess asked, laughing just because their laughs were contagious.

"Ol Will here was just talkin' about what he'd do to those monsters that were gettin' out of Atlanta if they'd ever get here." Jake said still laughing.

"Shoot 'em sounds like the only way." Daryl pitched.

"Right, boy, exactly that and then some." Will winked to Jake and the men laughed again. Snapping twigs broke their laughter and Daryl peered into the woods, hopeful that it was his deer. He whistled over to Jess and started walking in the direction of the sounds. Will and Jake stood in their spots in case the deer broke through the line. Daryl and Jess weren't anymore than a quarter mile from the river bank when gunfire rang out, turning the two men on their heels towards Will and Jake. Breaking through the trees at a record pace, Daryl saw Jake and WIll surrounded by the very things they were just laughing at moments ago.

People, standing there, rotten and black blood stained skin were attacking Will and Jake. Daryl fired his gun instead of his crossbow, hitting the one attacking Jake in the shoulder, the dead woman falling back a bit. Jess hit a few more, shots directly to the head and the walking corpses fell to the ground. Daryl kneeled to Jake as he tried to stop the bleeding from his shoulder wound. The bite and tear was too close to his jugular, and Jake was bleeding out.

"Stay with me Jake." Daryl stated sternly has he wrapped the wound tighter with his belt. It was no use. The man was dying.

"Protect her." The words came out raspy and gurgled. Jake's hand reached up for Daryl's shoulder, a bloody print staining his skin and shirt. "Get Charlie out. Please. Promise me." And those were the last words Jake ever spoke.

Will's screaming broke Daryl from a quick trance to see his father being attacked. Blood was quickly escaping the man's arm and leg as not one but two walkers began feasting on the living man.

"NO!" Daryl screamed out in anger and hidden pain. Jess reached him first however he soon became a victim, a corpse taking a bite out of his arm just before Jess made the kill shot to the head. Daryl ran to Will, letting the old man fall into his arms as Daryl fired three rounds from his handgun into the assailants heads. The area grew silent, the only sounds being heard were that of a dying man and his son.

"I'm sorry son." Will gasped in pain. "I was a shitty old man and you deserved better."

"Save it. We're getting ya help." Daryl choked back. He wasn't one for emotions but the moment was scary and real and he felt an inner confrontation that was rearing it's ugly head. Emotions and anger that had been built up for nearly twenty years.

"We can't help him, boy." Jess pointed out. "We best put him out of his misery."

"Nah, we gotta get him to town. To the hospital." Daryl argued.

"He won't make it." Jess countered as he tied a sleeve of his flannel around his wounded arm. :You gotta take the shot, put 'em outta his misery. Ease his suffering."

At first, the younger Dixon nods, raising his gun to his Will's temple. But soon, he loses his nerve and just stares blankly at his father. Daryl shakes his head and Jess rips the handgun from his hands. Daryl steps back from the body in time for the bullet to pierce Will's temple, ending his pain and suffering.

Jess looks to Daryl and sighs in frustration, "There it's done." He hands him the gun.

Faint noises of moans were heard close by. Daryl and Jess looked around for the source and saw that Jake was coming back to life. The sight terrified Daryl as he began to breathe quickly, running to see if he could help the man, thinking maybe he passed out from pain or blood loss but the moment Daryl reached Charlie's father, the once alive Jake was very much dead and looking to make Daryl his first victim. Rearing back on his heels and hands, ass scooting across the grass quickly out of reach, Daryl panted rapidly. Jess ran to his rescue, shooting Jake dead center of the forehead, ending his life permanently.

Daryl stared at the body before him. His breaths short and fast, his throat closing in on him from wanting to scream or cry out but he held it in, pushed it down and stared.

"C'mon. We better get the hell back into town. Stop by the cabin first. Get some supplies. Then we'll see if we can bail your brotha out." Jess suggested grabbing their things and tossing them to Daryl with his good arm.

Daryl followed Jess back through the woods, running as quickly as they could to get to the truck. If there were more things around, there was no doubt the gunfire would have drawn them in. They had no choice but to run. It felt like they had run forever before making back to the truck.

"What the fuck were those things?" Daryl asked throwing their gear in the bed and climbing in on the driver's side.

"People." Jess replied as he jumped into the passenger's seat.

"Those ain't people. People don't eat people like that. Even on drugs." Daryl pointed out, firing up the truck.

"Zombies boy, the walking dead.. That's the best description. They ain't alive but they sure as hell are getting around. Looks like the only way to get 'em down is a kill shot to the head. Best to remember that." Jess nodded to Daryl and he agreed with a nod back. "Head to the cabin."

It was nearly dark by the time that Jess and Daryl made it to Jess cabin, but without incident. A large swarm of the monsters began emerging from the woods as they drove, and Daryl had to swerve in a serpentine fashion, in order to avoid railing them and getting into an accident themselves. That didn't mean that in his current state, Daryl didn't tag a few. As he drove, Daryl's mind was racing with his anger and infuriation of his father's death and Jake's death by the monsters that hunted them earlier in the day. In the short amount of time from the attack to the cabin, Daryl had developed a deep, burning hatred for the monsters.

Jess seemed to be beginning to suffer from his wound, sweating and swearing as the pain of the bite wound began to take it's toll on the older man. Daryl helped the man into the cabin while in the near distance the sounds of the herd they'd seen on the road were catching up with them.

"We ain't got much time." Daryl commented as Jess began gathering things and tossing them into his duffle and Daryl's. Within minutes, the sounds of snarling and moaning began getting louder as the herd came onto the property. They nearly surrounded the truck and Daryl knew that they'd have to shoot their way out of the cabin in order to escape. "Jess, we gotta go. We gotta get back into town and I gotta get Merle and Charlie."

"Charlie?" Jess questioned. "That girl can take care of herself."

"No, I promsied Jake. We gotta go." Daryl feared they'd lose their chance if they didn't leave in the next two minutes. "Leave the rest. Get the ammo and let's go."

Jess ditched whatever he couldn't shove into the backpacks with frustration and a handful of swears. His arm was hurting something awful and he had nothing to help himself. Daryl took a final glance out the window and seen they'd lost their chance at the truck.

"Jess, we gotta go. Leave it." Daryl shouted and grabbed his uncles arm, dragging him out the back door, two backpacks and can of fuel and the ammo that was stuffed into their bags.

"We head west. The cabin up ahead has a truck in storage. We get there, we get to town. You see them sons 'a bitches, you hit the brain. Ya hear, boy, the brain?" Jess vehemently spoke through gritted teeth.

Daryl nodded and the two of them headed west towards the cabin Jess knew of. A friend of his, who hopefully was still a friend and what seemed like the end of the world


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you so much to UndeadMama. I appreciate your continued support! I hope others are checking this story out. If not, it's fun to write. Anyway, here we go with our adventure with Charlie. Enjoy! Please R&R! Love, Z PS - I only own Charlie.

Daryl made it from Cabot Ridge where they'd been hunting as night was falling over Sedalia. As he drove, he let his anger stir within him. Jess tried his luck at his sympathies towards the loss of Daryl's father and Jake but the younger man just snarled at him to leave it be.

"What's your plan? I gotta get back to get Merle and Charlie." Daryl asked as he pulled into Sedalia, passing the gas station and general store. In small towns like Sedalia in Pemberton County, all there really was in town were a single gas station, a Piggly Wiggly general store or smaller, and a police station. A couple had a movie theater but they only showed one movie and it was usually months to a year old.

"We go to the cops. Find out what in the hell is goin' on and get home. Merle is in jail. He ain't goin' nowhere. Charlie's a big girl, she can fend for herself." Jess answered as he stepped out of the truck once Daryl pulled in front of the police station.

"We do this and we're gone. Merle ain't gonna sit in a cage for long with all this shit goin' on." Daryl pointed out. "He's my brother and all I got left."

Jess nodded. He knew that Daryl was sadly too faithful to his good for nothing drug addict, racist brother but with the life the boys had growing up, he had no other role model. While Jess may have been his uncle, he was only his half uncle and only associated with Will during hunting season. Jess didn't exactly agree with the way Will raised his boys after their mother died. He knew the boys were doomed from the start. Drunk and chimney smoking mother, drugs and shine dealing abusive father. Jess wasn't in denial, he just turned the other cheek.

The two men stepped into the police station only to find it empty. Not a single officer, clerk or even town drunk in a cell to be seen. Papers were strewn about from desks and displaced items littered the floor. Daryl leapt over the front counter as Jess stood there watching. He picked up one of the fallen phone receivers and held it to his ear. He heard nothing. Shouldering the receiver, his crossbow never leaving his other hand, he finger punched the toggle to the phone. Still nothing, the line was dead. Not even a ring tone.

"Line's dead." Daryl grumbled.

"Try the radio." Jess commented with a nod in it's direction. He seemed to be struggling to focus his eyes on his nephew. Somewhere between leaving the ridge and coming into Sedalia, Jess' wound had stopped bleeding but the skin around the bite had become red and angry. He felt chilled now and had sweat spells coming and going. Swallowing hard, he tried to focus as Daryl turned the dial to power on the radio. Slowly a voice was heard, that of an automated female's voice, a computer as it were, playing a recording.

"The Emergency Alert System has been activated. The Office of Civil Defense has issued the following message: Normal broadcasting will cease immediately. This is a civil emergency. Please do not venture outside of your homes. Avoid anyone infected at all costs. Remain calm. Help is on the way. This message will repeat. The Emergency Alert System has been activated. The Office of Civil..."

The voice faded to nothing as Daryl turned the dial down and off. He looked to Jess, knowing all too well what it meant. This, whatever it was, was bigger than they'd thought. An epidemic that started out as gossip and a news bulletin during the eleven 'o clock news. Now, it was so much more.

"What the hell is going on?" Daryl asked. Jess shrugged. After hearing the message, he knew that he was doomed. With his symptoms, he now was infected. The best he could do was to help Daryl get back to Fontana, get Merle and Charlie and get out. Before he died, before he became a monster that Daryl now hated so much.

"I don't know. But we best find out and get out of town." Jess sighed. "We ain't got much ammo in the truck. Best to check the gun locker and fill up on gas and get the hell outta Doge."

Daryl nodded. He came around from the desk, leading the way to the back of the station where the gun locker would be. Jess, with his good arm, held his pistol and followed Daryl.

A rustling could be heard as they rounded the final corner towards the back of the station. Daryl held a fist up to hold his uncle back and then removed his finger from the trigger to briefly silence him before replacing it. Jess nodded and Daryl quickly rounded the corner to find someone digging through drawers in a desk.

"Hands up." Daryl growled through gritted teeth. He seemed menacing and the stranger stood quickly, hands in the air.

Shaggy blonde hair and dark eyes looked back at him as a man about his age stood before him. "Daryl? That you? It's Jimmy, Merle's buddy."

"The hell you doin' here?" Daryl asked. With the familiarity of the stranger, Jess stepped out of the shadows, his pistol no longer raised.

"Lookin' for some shit." Jimmy winked. "With the cops outta town, I gotta get my shit back. It's too good of coke to waste."

Daryl was disgusted. 'Typical junkie.' He thought. "What the hell happened here?" He asked.

"Radio started up just after dawn. I was in the cell in the back. Got popped after Merle, damn sheriff dragged me outta bed." Jimmy laughed maniacally. Daryl looked at him to get back on track and he did. "Then the National Guard came in, decarlin' Marshall law or some crazy shit and they took everyone outta here. Some chick I was layin' that worked the front, let me out as they were leavin'. Told her some shit about how I wanted to be safe, and protect her in Atlanta but really I just wanted my shit. Told me the keys were here somewhere but I ain't found 'em."

Jimmy was talking so fast, obviously finding something earlier to get high on that he was hard to follow. But Daryl and Jess got the gist of it. "What's in Atlanta?"

"They're using one of the stadiums as an evacuation center." Jimmy replied. "C'mon man, help me find these keys and I'll get you hooked up with some good shit, for you and your bro."

"Save it. I ain't helpin' ya. And I don't do that shit, you know that's Merle's thing." Daryl argued. "Get it yourself."

A rustling sound from down the halls, towards the back door of the station, sounded. Jess looked down into the darkness and saw nothing The emergency lights from the generator were beginning to flicker. Daryl looked beyond the darkness and sighed.

"Did you leave the back door open when you came in here?" He asked Jimmy.

"No. I don't know, maybe." Jimmy shrugged.

"Fuckin' tweakers." Daryl grumbled. "Stay behind me."

He was scared shitless, but determined to get what he'd ventured into the depths of the station for, Daryl led the two other men towards the rustling. He was determined to take his aggression out on the cause of the sound, to get the ammo sought and get the hell out of town. The flickering lights from the fading generator made it difficult to see clearly. As they rounded the final corner in the maze, the sound grew louder. In a quick flash, three walkers came into view. Daryl managed to take one down while the other was taken down by Jess' pistol. Jimmy wasn't lucky however, While the third took another bullet from Jess', a fourth walker came from the shadows of the building, His screams felt like it shook the walls as the walker bit down his neck and soon only the gurgling of him choking on his own blood could be heard. Daryl fired a bullet from his own gun into the walker's head while Jess didn't hesitate to drop Jimmy before he could turn or be eaten by what would find him next.

"We check the locker and we go. Fuel up and roll out." Jess commanded. Daryl nodded.

They reached the ammo locker and found it to be empty. Defeat settled in momentarily before sounds of invading walkers began filling the halls.

"We gotta get out of there." Daryl pointed out. Jess grunted in agreement. "You gonna make it?"

"Let's go." Jess said and Daryl led the way out of the police station, a small group of walkers behind them and who knew how many in front.

It seemed as if they were nearly free when they reached the lobby however a small crowd had gathered outside the double doors. Daryl watched their figures peer through the glass, clawing to get in.

"Sound must have drawn them in." Daryl pointed out. Jess nodded.

"Go. I've got your back. Get to Fontana. Get your brother, get your girl and get to Atlanta." Jess pointed out.

"I ain't leavin' ya." Daryl commented. "And she ain't my girl."

"She's all ya got left, remember. You and your brother get safe, take that girl with ya." Jess loaded his pistol with what few bullets remained in his pocket. "I's gonna die anyway."

Daryl struggled to leave the man but if he didn't get out now, he'd end up dead or worse. With a final curt nod, Daryl backed away from the door to allow Jess to open it, distracting the walkers so he could get out.

"Remember Daryl, always the head." Jess said as he fired off what shots remained, walkers closing in on his, feeding on him as Daryl knocked a walker in the skull in passing to escape.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the follows and feed back! I am hoping that the more I write this the more reviews I get. Its always hard as a writer to see people view your work but not drop a line or two to let you know what they like or love or hate! It's been a hot minute since an update so lets do this! Always, ZM

Leaving Jess behind in Sedalia seemed like a distant memory as Daryl drove through Pemberton. He needed to find fuel and get to Fontana. The town of Pemberton was the only thing that stood in his way. One town over from home but running on empty. He needed to stop. He needed fuel. He needed rest but rest would have to wait until he was reunited with Merle and Charlie. He hoped nothing bad had happened in Fontana yet. His fears were what kept him going, kept his adrenaline pumping. Kept him from giving up. As he entered the town limits, he saw that the motel had lights on while the rest of the town remained dark and appeared evacuated like Sedalia. He had no other choice but to look in at the motel and find out of any survivors were there, to seek fuel and hope they'd let him leave with no problem. Dawn was coming and with that, the hopes of getting to Fontana then to Atlanta.

Back in Fontana, the National Guard had made it's announcement over the radio and evacuated those who would leave. Those who'd decided to stay were doing so at their own risk. Terrified, Charlie left home and holed herself up in the bar. She wanted to get whatever she could out of it before she had to run. It wasn't the smartest idea, but with her father out on his trip still, the bar would be the first place he'd go upon his return. Charlie wanted to be there when he did so they could leave together. She boarded up the windows, locked all but the front door and waited.

The till was empty, the safe drained of it's cash. She had it all in her bag. She sat at the bar, watching a blank television, staring off as she picked at a sandwich she'd thrown together. She heard the door open and turned to find her favorite old customer walking through.

"Harry, you're supposed to be in Atlanta." She sighed and pulled the stool beside her out for him.

"Oh no, darlin', I have lived in this damn town for the last eighty years of my life, I'll die here." He smiled warmly at her and held her hand in his wrinkled one. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Let me get you a drink. Have you eaten?" Harry shook his head. Charlie smiled as she slid over her sandwich to him. "The usual?"

"Make it a double darlin'." Harry quipped.

Charlie came around from the front of the bar and poured him a double whiskey sour, setting the glass in front of him. He nodded in thanks, a mouth full of roast beef and turkey. "Let me get you some fries to go with that. It'll be a few minutes. Hold down the fort for me, huh?"

"Sure thing." Harry said and watched the sweet woman leave him.

Neither heard the door open during their conversation and as Charlie rounded the corner for the kitchen, she missed the sight of the decaying body haphazardly stalking inside. As she started the oil in the fryer, Charlie heard Harry scream from the front. She came barreling around the corner, a butcher knife in hand.

"HARRY!" She screamed as the unknown man attacked her oldest patron. She came at the attacker and managed to pull him away from Harry but not before the man took a large bite of Harry's arm with him. Charlie threw the man back a few feet but he came at her this time. She swung at him with the knife and nicked him in the chest but he didn't flinch. Harry fell to the floor with a large thud as he continued to bleed out. The attacker chased Charlie towards the pool tables and she grabbed a cue, prodding him with it, impaling his chest and yet he still came. The attacker managed to pin Charlie to the floor, the cue and her boots being the only separation as she pressed tightly into the man's chest with the soles.

Suddenly, a gun shot rang out through the bar and the attacker went limp as pieces of his splattered skull.

"Hiya, Sugar Tits." Merle smirked as he lowered his shot gun, a pair of hand cuffs hanging from his wrists.

-/-/-/-

Daryl entered the motel, his crossbow ready to protect himself. He was cautious as he stepped into the small lobby that was nearly as wide as a the bathroom in his trailer. Quickly, a man appeared, shot gun raised to the younger Dixon's face.

"Howdy." The man said from behind the barrel. "Whatcha need stranger?"

"Just some gas and I'll be on my way. Gotta get home." Daryl responded, not moving from his guarded position. "Know if the pumps are workin'?"

"Don't know. Ain't been out all day. Boarded up the windows and took in folks who didn't want to leave town." The man lowered his gun and a girl poked her head from around the corner of the desk. "Name's Noah. My daughter Anna."

"Name's 'Scout'." Anna, a girl about twelve years old, dark hair peeking from a baseball cap, corrected her father.

"Daryl." Daryl replied with his own name and lowered his bow.

"Where ya from, son?"

Daryl inwardly groaned at the word son. He never liked to be called that word. He wasn't anyone's son. Not for a long time. "Town over, Fontana. This your place?"

Noah nodded with a hum. "Me and An..Scout live here, run the place. Took in a few people but they've since gone just before nightfall. Changed their minds I suppose. Had a bunch of them..."

"Walkers." Daryl shrugged.

"Alright, walkers, come through town and attack a couple in the parking lot. Lost my customers after that."

"Why ain't you left?" Daryl asked.

"Was going to in the morning. Better light." Noah replied. "I got some fuel to spare. A small can, but it should be enough to get you to Fontana."

"Appreciate it." Daryl knew the truck was on fumes, the spare can he had with him from the cabin already gone. Anything would be enough to get him closer to Fontana. He knew his way, could make it home on foot, but with walkers coming from every direction, including his safety zone of the woods, the truck was the best bet.

"Scout, watch the door. I'll be right back." Noah left to retrieve the gas can leaving the girl with Daryl.

Things were silent for a bit before Scout spoke up as Daryl kept impatiently staring out the window. "So, you shoot that thing a lot?"

"Mmmhmm." Daryl answered not looking at the girl. He had never been one to be annoyed by children, in fact, Charlie had once told him he had the heart over his brother. Merle then joked that he was a pussy and a complete softy. Charlie quickly defended the youngest brother saying it was a warm heart of gold. Daryl remembered blushing and sulking away from the bar.

"I learned how to use a revolver. Good thing too with those creeps out there." Scout smirked. Daryl didn't take the time to wonder where the girl's mother was and didn't really care. He just wanted to get the gas Noah was getting for him and go.

"Here ya go. Like I said, it ain't much but it should get ya to home." Noah returned with the gas can and handed it to Daryl. "You stay safe. Maybe we'll see ya in Atlanta."

Daryl nodded. "Maybe."

"We'll cover ya while ya fuel up." Noah cocked his shot gun and followed Daryl out the door. Scout stood in the doorway her hand on her revolver while Daryl lead the way to the truck. Noah held his shot gun at ready and scanned the area while Daryl fueled up. He quickly gave the can to Noah and turned back to the truck. He searched inside the bag of ammo beside him and handed a box of shells to Noah.

"For the gas." Daryl said as Noah nodded taking the box.

The father and daughter duo watched him pull away and Daryl took a final glance at them in his mirror. He wasn't far now and dawn was coming. He'd check the jail first then the bar. After than, he had no game plan other than to get to Atlanta like everyone else.

-/-/-/-

"Oh my God, Harry!" Charlie didn't even think to thank her rescuer, she just crawled away from Merle and the dead man to Harry, who was bleeding out all over the bar floor. Tears filled her eyes as she cradled the dying old man in her arms. It was soon too late, his eyes glazed over and he was gone. Charlie looked at her hands, caked in his blood as she closed his eyes and sat there. Merle had left her in search of God knows what and she sobbed. She couldn't bring herself to pick up the phone, let alone herself up off the floor.

Merle could be heard rummaging around the office and Charlie didn't even care what he was looking for. She held the hand and head of a dead man in her lap while another with decaying flesh and eyes was sprawled out across the floor behind her. Once her tears subsided, she laid Harry to rest against the floor and stood, covering his face with a dish towel from the bar. As she went to wash her hands, she felt the air shift.

Turning around, she found Harry's body was gone and all that was left was the pool of blood. She turned back to the sink and screamed when the old man had risen from the dead and was close to grabbing her when yet another shot rang out from close behind her. Harry's body dropped to the floor in a heap and Charlie turned to look at Merle.

"That's two you owe me, Blondie." He smirked with his drawl. "No be a good pussycat and tell me where your daddy hid my coke."

"Jesus Christ, Merle! Harry is dead, I don't even know who the hell that son of a bitch is but you blew both of their heads off and all you're worried about is some cocaine?" Charlie yelled.

"Shhhh." Merle covered her mouth quickly with his hand. "Did you lock the door?"

"No. You got in didn't ya?" Charlie snarled as Merle pulled his hand away.

Merle growled. "You best lock that up. There are a shit more of those things out there and they'd of heard the shots. Noise attracts 'em."

"How do you know?" Charlie asked heading for the door.

"Saw it at the far end of town. The Guard let me out on account of a crisis. I saw two of them go down as about five of them showed up." He gestured with a nod of his head towards the dead man across the bar. "Riffle noise brought nearly half a dozen more from the woods at the edge of town."

Charlie looked at the dead man on the floor as she came back towards the bar. "These were people. What did this?"

"I don't know. But I plan on taking a little vacation until someone comes to get us." Merle said from now back behind the bar, twisting the cap to a fresh bottle of whiskey.

"Oh it's a fine time to be gettin' drunk." Charlie stalked up to him and swiped the bottle from his hands. She noticed the bag of white powder on the bar top and nearly lost it. "God damn it Merle. Two men are dead! Where the hell did you find that shit!?"

Merle took both the bottle and the bag from her again and snarled. "I told ya your daddy kept a stash for me."

Charlie had no idea that her father was that close in with Merle Dixon. She knew he was friends with Will but never thought that her daddy was capable of doing the same habits as his eldest son. She had no words, just added disgust for someone so close to her. She hated Merle Dixon for more than just stirring up trouble at her bar. He was no good for anyone. He may have looked out for his little brother, loved him probably like no other had, but he dragged Daryl down and Charlie made that point clear a time or two. Daryl always got upset with her and left with Merle. But there were times that she saw true realization in Daryl's eyes he just didn't know any better than to still be the follower.

"What'd you get in for this time?" Charlie asked noticing the cuffs on Merle's wrists again.

"Sheriff's usual agenda. To put me in for nothin'." Merle quipped as he snorted a line from his hand. "Got into a tussle after I left here."

Charlie nodded. She sighed. She had no choice but to stay holed up with Merle until more help came or they had a better plan to get out of town. It wasn't her best option to be stuck with him, but if anything, Merle was a survivor and when sober, tactically smart. He just needed to stay sober long enough. "I wish my dad and your brother were here. We could get to Atlanta."

"If they're smart, they'd be there by now." Merle commented, already riding his high. "We're stuck Sugar Tits, might as well make the best of it."

"You touch me, so help me God..." Charlie threatened.

"Hey...just suggestin'." Merle put his hands up in defense but not before taking another long pull from the whiskey bottle. "Sun'll be up soon. If the coast is clear, we can head for my bike down the road and get to the city."

"Great." Charlie sighed. She looked out the window, no sleep weighing heavily on her but her adrenaline and fear kept her wide awake. 'Come on Daddy.' She thought.

-/-/-/-

Daryl pulled down the dirt road towards his trailer just as the sun began tinting the sky a sherbet hue. He'd been lucky to make it that far. He knew his truck was full of gas and they'd need it to get to Atlanta. The truck he was driving began to sputter as he neared the driveway to his trailer. The small shanty shack in sight. He wouldn't miss the shit hole but it was the first thing of his own that he'd paid rent on when he could. Odd jobs and following Merle from one thing to the next was how he'd gotten by. Selling some deer to the local butcher or feeding himself was a bit of extra means when Merle seemed to have himself locked up for whatever drug related charge or racist violation he'd committed that time.

With his previous form of transportation now out of fuel, Daryl walked the two hundred or so yards to the trailer. He gathered what he could in a single bag, including a leather vest with angel wings stitched to the back, a memento from Merle. He found extra bolts in his closet and lying on the dining counter and made sure to take those too. His pistol and Merle's along with what remained of ammo were tossed into his bag and Daryl was out the door. There were no food rations in the cupboards but he figured that if they had the chance to stop by the bar, Charlie would fill their bags to get to Atlanta.

Atlanta wasn't far from Fontana, but with the evacuations, Daryl had no thoughts on how long it would take or how things would go once they were there. From the trailer on the outskirts of town, to the sheriff's station, it took Daryl fifteen minutes and he wasn't minding the speed limit. The town was small and what used to be welcoming was now abandoned and lonely. He gathered quickly that the National Guard had already made their way through town and hoped that the station was smart enough to either take the prisoners with them or to stay behind until state corrections would come for them.

He haphazardly pulled into a stall near the front door, in his mind, the closer to the door the better, the easier the escape. Dejavu was clearly messing on his mind as he flashed to the night before and leaving Jess behind in Sedalia. He really wasn't going to be happy if he'd found an empty station.

The scene was the same when he came into the door. Deserted, dark, and emergency generators keeping the lights on. It was stuffy as the Georgia heat didn't let up at night even in the earliest of summer as this was. And with the sun rising in the sky, it wasn't going to let up. Daryl knew better than to call out for his brother and knowing the station like the back of his hand, Daryl made his way to the cages behind an open security door.

There he found nothing, not a soul, not a walker, not even remains. He'd passed a few bodies in the street, a few in uniforms who'd gone down the day before but here in the station, it seemed untouched aside from doors to cells left wide open.

"Shit." Daryl cursed to himself. He shook his head. 'Now what?' He thought. If Merle was let go, where would he go? What if they transported him in a car or bus to Atlanta? Daryl scratched his head in thought and aggravation. It was then that he heard gun shots from outside, ringing across town. Quick on his feet, he ran to the truck in search of an exact location of the noise. It sounded like it was coming from the direction of the bar. Daryl quickly jumped in the truck and headed there.

Sure as shit, he saw his brother standing on the roof top of the bar firing a shot gun at walkers down below. Daryl sped up and hit a couple just as Merle realized his little brother had come to save the day.

"Well, hey baby brotha." Merle called as Daryl shot a final walker with a bolt. "Nice of you to join the party."

"Get your ass down here." Daryl snarled as he looked up. "Where's Charlie?"

"Oh, Sugar Tits? Oh she's locked up in the office fast asleep." Merle cackled.

"Damn it." Daryl shook his head and stormed through the locked door of the bar, kicking it in. He scanned the bar and saw the two bodies on the floor. He worried about Charlie and if she were really alright. Running to the back of the bar, he found the office and twisted the knob.

"Merle Dixon, you may be high as shit but I swear when I get out of here, I'm gonna..." Charlie yelled from the other side.

Daryl shook his head. "It's me Charlie. Daryl."

"Oh Christ, thank God. Let me outta here." Charlie rattled the door and slipped her key under it. She was lucky it was Daryl and not Merle for she knew Merle would have just taken off with the key and left her there.

Daryl opened the door and a relieved Charlie stood on the other side. Relieved and very, very pissed off. "Where'd he get the drugs?"

"Somewhere in here. Daddy apparently had a stash." Charlie looked around the hall for her dad and then glanced back to Daryl. "Where's my dad?"

Daryl's eyes were cast downward at her inquiry. A glimpse of remorse shown in his blue eyes when he did manage to look at her. "I'm sorry."

"No." Charlie's hand came to her mouth as she held back a sob. Daryl didn't know what to do and he felt helpless as he watched her grieve, leaning against the side of the door frame. But her tears were soon short lived as Merle came down from the roof, a look of panic in his eyes. In his drunkenness he stammered and searched for the right words but only found himself laughing instead.

"We better go. There's a shit load comin' this way." He said.

"C'mon." Daryl pulled at Charlie's elbow in a hurried fashion. If what Merle was saying was true and not a hallucination from his high, then they needed to get out of town before they were trapped. Charlie followed behind Daryl, her things forgotten until she stopped him. "We ain't got time." Daryl yelled as the snarls of the large group were being heard from outside. Merle was already at the truck, firing away again.

Charlie quickly turned on her booted heels and grabbed the only thing that remained of her life as it were not even two days ago. A picture, taken at Christmas the year before, of her and her father that sat behind the bar. She carried the frame tightly, her clothes and belongings forgotten as she ran past Daryl and out the door to the truck. She screamed as one of the monsters lunged for her just as she crossed to the outside and it was quickly met with a bolt that she never heard coming.

"Get in the truck." Daryl instructed. He and Merle took out a few more of the dead and Charlie could hear them arguing about where to hit them and where to go to get Merle's bike but it all sounded like she was under water as reality finally sank in for her and she realized that after this, nothing in life would be the same.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you for the kudos, reviews, comments! It's all appreciated! It's what drives me! Keep them coming! Here is the next chapter in Charlie's story. I only own her and nothing remotely related to The Walking Dead. Love, Z PS - SO SO SO Sorry this took sooooo long to get out!

The drive out of town didn't go without issues. When Merle finally managed to sober up enough to remember where he'd parked his bike the night before, he and Daryl encountered more of the dead as they loaded it into the bed of the truck and tied it down. Charlie seemed to have drowned out everything going on around her and hadn't said a word since they left the bar.

That was nearly three hours ago.

"You think she's alright?" Merle questioned as he ran a hand in front of her face. "Sugar Tits, you in there?"

"Fuck Merle, leave her alone. Her dad's dead, she ain't got nothin' but two assholes lookin' out for her." Daryl wasn't in the mood for his brother's antics and at the moment.

"You're not an asshole." Charlie whispered.

"Ah, she speaks." Merle winked at his brother.

"Shut up, Merle. If it weren't for you, I could still be waitin' this all out in my bar. But no, you had to go and sure as shit shoot up the place. And so help me God the next time you call me Sugar Tits. I ain't gonna tell you again." Charlie started in on the older Dixon. Daryl just kept glancing out of the corner of his eye at her. He took in her appearance quickly. Her hair seemed disheveled, her jeans were already blood stained and her tee dipped down further than he'd ever took notice to.

"Once we figure out what's goin' on, we'll get ya some new stuff." Daryl commented. Charlie looked up at him as if she hadn't noticed the way she was.

"With what money? Everything I have is back at the bar. My money, my clothes, my whole life. It's just gone." Charlie spoke sadly. Her emotions were a wide range at the moment. She was just yelling at Merle and now she was saddened and grieving again.

"We'll figure it out." Daryl grumbled. He had no solution, no plan, just a destination and a promise he intended to keep even if it killed him.

"Ya, you're with the Dixon boys. We're survivors!" Merle chimed in sarcastically. "We'll just steal if we gotta."

Silence filled the cab as Daryl drove along the small roads towards the main highway. Living in rural Georgia had it's perks but this time the seclusion wasn't a benefit. They needed supplies, food, water. They needed to get to Atlanta. But as they came up to the main highway into the city, they were met with gridlocked traffic. Cars for miles that could be seen with the naked eye and Daryl was nearly sure this was how it went all the way into the city. At one point there had to be a cut off, he just couldn't see it. He fell in line with the other cars and stopped as traffic came to a hault. This was the worse kind of traffic jam he'd ever seen. A gridlock of parked cars in two directions. Those leaving the city most likely seeking family or shelter elsewhere and those trying to get in to the stadium to seek refuge.

"You'd think for as long as we'd been seein' this pop up on the news that there'd be a better plan." Charlie spoke quietly. "Whatever this is, it's bad now."

Daryl nodded as Merle seemed to have vanished into his own world again, possible passing out with his eyes open. He'd at one point taken another hit of coke that'd been stashed in his saddle bags somewhere between Fontana and the highway.

"Tell me what happened." Charlie asked looking at Daryl. She gripped the picture of her and her father tightly in her hands.

Daryl shook his head, not wanting to give her the gory details and not ready to relive it himself. "It ain't pretty. We were trackin' a deer and my dad and yours were takin' up the other side. Jess and I were together. We saw the deer that I'd shot and next thing we knew we heard screamin'. Lost the deer and found them. Your dad was... and mine... Jess got bit and he lasted some hours. Made it to Sedalia before we got trapped in a police station lookin' for help. He stayed so I could get to Merle and you."

"Why me?" Charlie asked, hearing the story from him made her eyes well up.

"Your dad made me promise to get you out, keep you safe." He blushed stating the truth. He wasn't sure how to keep her safe but a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that being so brash and shut off from people might not be so helpful anymore. He didn't need anyone else, just his brother and now that Charlie was to be tagging along, he'd make an exception for her.

"You..." She began.

"Don't be a pussy." Merle poked fun of his brother's attempt at chivalry. He apparently wasn't as spegacked as Charlie assumed he was. "C'mon Darylina. Just admit you did it because you have a soft spot for Sugar Tits here."

"Merle..." Charlie began but Daryl now interrupted her.

"Merle, you don't know shit."

"Don't you sass me, boy." Merle argued back. "If it weren't for me, you'd never even be here."

As the two brothers fought like the world wasn't ending, Charlie wished she had an escape from the truck. She sunk down in her seat only to try and drown out their sounds. She felt the sting of her tears prick her eyes and when she vaguely heard Merle say something about Will and her dad, she threw her hands up and yelled. Both men quit their bickering and stared back at her.

"Let me out of the God damned truck." She shoved at Daryl. He wanted to argue with her, tell her she was nuts for leaving and stepping out onto the highway but with a glance, nothing was moving and hadn't since they'd stopped. He scooted out and as Charlie walked away, she then heard them start to argue about her leaving the truck and whose fault it was.

Charlie traveled a few cars before she just stopped to breathe. She took in the scene before her. Traffic was stopped on all sides, in and out of the city. It didn't make sense. If they were supposed to be traveling to Atlanta, then why would outbound traffic be at a stand still. There were car fulls of people just standing around, smoking, sharing conversation and experiences of their evacuation. Rumors were flying around at a rampant pace as she started to weave in and out of the cars, overhearing conversations. She must have walked a good hundred cars before stopping and realizing this was getting her no where. The only two people she had left in the world were a couple of brothers, one a degenerate redneck and the other...Charlie felt her lungs release a deep sigh. Labeling Daryl was more difficult than imaginable. He had is days where he was a mere shadow of his brother, acting just as degenerate and ignorant when deep down she knew that he knew he was better than that. When you're giving only such a short leash on life, you don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Shaking her head, Charlie looked over at the car next to her and saw a young couple, pulling a pack of smokes from their center console. "Could I borrow a few of those? My truck is back there and I seemed to have left my pack at home."

The female in the passenger's side smiled, "Sure. Could be the last we see of these for a while. Smoke it while you can. Might be time to finally quit."

Charlie took the three nicotine sticks from the boxed red head and turned on her heel. Her boots tapped against the asphalt as she begrudgingly moved back to the truck. When she arrived, she found that it was just her and Daryl. She silently handed him a cigarette and he looked beyond grateful. The two of them placed the cigarettes to their lips and Daryl found a lighter in the door pocket. He lit hers for her and then lit his own. "Where's the asshole?"

Daryl shrugged. "Took a walk. Said he had to piss. Probably went to find more dope if anyone had it."

"How far are we from the city do you think?" Charlie asked as she blew white smoke from her lips.

"Not far. Through those trees up there, just beyond the river. There's a quarry about ten minutes from here. Might be a safe place to head if they turn us away at the stadium." Daryl suggested.

"Nothing's movin' up there. I went up at least a hundred cars." Charlie sighed.

"They got the city blocked off." A man with a thick accent and tall muscular frame spoke from the lane beside them. Charlie looked over and saw that he was with a woman, who was tall and skinny with long brunette hair, and a little boy, not much older than twelve Charlie assumed.

"How do you know?" Daryl asked, not liking the fact that someone was butting in on his conversation with Charlie.

"Radio stopped transmitting about an hour ago. Nothing but dead air." The man spoke as he stood tall beside the woman.

"I"m Lori, Lori Grimes. This is my son Carl and please forgive Shane, he's a little stressed. We all are." The brunette spoke.

"I'm Charlie. This is Daryl. And don't mind the third person in our group, he has no filter, a foul mouth and goes by the name of Merle." Charlie smiled at the people in front of her. She could feel Daryl's stance shift beside her and it wasn't friendly. "Where y'all from?"

"Kings County. Shane and my late husband were sheriff's deputies there." Lori replied. "What about you?"

"Fontana. Just up the road a bit." Charlie answered. "We had to get out in a hurry. The whole town was gone, overrun." A sad expression now graced her features as she thought of the little boy who lost is father and now had to deal with this. She thought of herself and how she never got to say goodbye to her own dad. "I lost my dad."

"Me too. Mine was in a coma and we had to leave him behind. Shane said his machines had stopped when the city lost power." Carl spoke up for the first time and his words shocked Charlie.

"I'm so sorry." Charlie spoke softly. She felt a deep empathy to the young boy now and his mother.

"Carl, why don't you go see if Sophia wants to play checkers or something." Lori shooed her son away and looked to Charlie, Daryl now rummaging through the bed of the truck, not wanting to be social. "He's still in shock. I don't really like him announcing you know."

Charlie noticed how Lori's skinny fingers reached towards her neck, pulling at the locket and ring secured there with a chain. Her thumb and forefinger fiddling with what Charlie assumed to be her husband's wedding band. Shane by now had gone back to fiddling with the radio, looking for a signal, leaving the two women alone.

"If you three need anything, we're just right here. We didn't pack food or water, stupid move, but if you want to chat..."

"Thank you." Charlie sighed. "I think we'll be here a while."

Daryl scoffed from the truck bed as he hopped up on the tailgate he'd just let down. Charlie gave a look to Lori telling her that she should probably see to him and Lori nodded turning away to Shane. Charlie moved to the back of the truck and folded her arms.

"You know you don't have to be so unfriendly all the time." She shook her head.

Daryl just ignored her comments and stared out in the distance in the direction they'd come. It had been a shitty last couple of days and while he wanted to forget about it, the images were imbedded in his brain. They were going no where. Charlie dropped her arms and stepped forward, hopping onto the tailgate just as Daryl laid back to shut his eyes for a bit. He needed the rest, heck they all did but Charlie wasn't going to give in to the nightmares just yet.

She watched as families around her, people in general waited out the traffic doing what they could to stay stable in the impending chaos. The Georgia sun was hot and blazing but there was a slight breeze that gave way to a little bit of relief. Charlie let her eyes close as she leaned against the side of the bed, the old powder blue paint rusting away at certain spots. She let her mind drift back to the bar and memories began playing out like a movie reel or slide show. She was happy. She was serving customers, watching the locals play pool. Daryl came to her mind and she felt herself smile. She always thought he was good looking. His blue eyes always so captivating if he ever looked at you head on. Normally his small talk or replies would come from his profile or downward gaze, like a beaten animal no wanting to look it's master in the eyes.

Sometimes though, she could feel his eyes on her when she wasn't looking. It felt like a warm weight looped over her shoulders. He never said much to her in terms of how she looked or if he ever felt anything towards her. But he didn't have to. Growing up in a too tiny for a dot on the map and you look like Charlie does, you know when men look.

Charlie's mind flashed her another quick slide of growing up in the same trailer park as the Dixons. The same trailer houses, lined up like bread boxes on dirt lots. Drunk daddies bored with life and looking for something to fill the holes of high school glory days gone by and broken love had left behind. Jake wasn't like will though. He loved her and he never hit her. Sadly though, there were times Charlie was sad enough to realize that nothing took the sting away of not being reason enough to put down the bottle and pull your sorry ass off the floor.

Once upon a time, Charlie had wanted out of town with a passion that had never been touched by anything else. But passion fades and reality settles in and she found herself behind the bar her daddy owned, pouring shots and pulling taps all the while singing softly along with the tattered juke box in the corner or shooting a few cues with those will to challenge her. She was her father's daughter after all, a bar maid born and raised.

The slamming of the truck door startled both Charlie and Daryl from the restful places. And the noise of Merle's return apparent. "What the hell are you two sleepin' for? Someone should be watchin' our shit."

"Fuck off." Charlie grumbled, still irritated at the man for life in general.

"What was that Sugar Tits, I didn't quite hear ya." Merle cackled in her face. Charlie could smell the pot and booze on him, realizing he'd found a stash somewhere. The older Dixon hopped up on the tailgate with them and started tossing back a swig from a bottle of Jack in his hands. Charlie shook her head. Only Merle Dixon would find someone's liquor and claim it as his own.

Charlie looked around and slid off the tailgate. She didn't realize she'd been asleep as long as she had. The sun was setting, painting the sky in various shades of orange to pink to purple to dark blue off on the horizon. Her stomach grumbled and she cursed the lot of them silently for not thinking of rations to bring. "I'm going to take another walk. Stretch my legs."

"Don't go far. It's gettin' dark." Daryl gruffly spoke.

"Yes, Dad." Charlie mumbled. She knew he was looking out for her but she was a grown woman and promise or no promise to her dad, she knew Daryl wouldn't keep it for long. Once the three of them were settled at the evacuation camp, Charlie figured deep down things would go back to they way they always were. Her looking out for him like she always did when he was around but him only shadowing Merle and his dubious schemes.

Charlie walked beyond Lori and Shane who were conversing with a woman, her hair cropped short, and her daughter while her husband smoked a cigarette, glaring with judgemental eyes. Ill feelings were immediately felt towards the stranger and Charlie continued down the highway. The sun had sunk deep in the sky by the time Charlie reached the car where the couple had given her a cigarette. She was using their car as her navigation point to turn and head back.

She was just about to when she heard the familiar thud thud thud of helicopter blades in the sky. She looked up and saw that several military helicopters were flying down the highway overhead towards the city. At first they were behind her and when she followed their path, Daryl had joined her obviously following her as she walked.

"C'mon." He said and nudged her in the direction of the trees as the helicopters passed.

Lori and Shane were jogging just ahead of them as they entered the tree line that overlooked the river across from Atlanta. The sight before Charlie and the rest of the people around her brought gasps and shrieks, some even cried.

"What the hell?" Daryl spoke as he and Charlie watched explosions erupt down the streets of Atlanta.

"They're dropping napalm in the streets." Shane could be heard telling Lori. Charlie glanced back at him and saw Lori turn her frame into Shane's, crying. Shock was plastered on her face as she looked back to Daryl who just stared ahead across the river. Never in her life had she felt more lost and scared.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I won nothing but Charlie. Anything even remotely related to the Walking Dead is own by its creators, producers etc! And because UndeadMama is so sweet and supportive, here is another chapter for you all! If you're lucky, we just might get one more in make it three updates before Sunday's season premier! ENJOY! R&R! Thank you for everything to date!

Two weeks, it had been two weeks after the first news reports of people eating other people came across the television and the nightly news. Somewhere between day fourteen and day twenty, Charlie's dad died. And somewhere within those three days, she saw Atlanta go up in flames. After that, she lost count, after that the days quickly blurred together. She knew they had been at the quarry for a while now, someone in camp, Amy or Andrea, she couldn't remember who said that they had been there close to two months now but she didn't care. It was all the same, day in and day out. Everyone doing various jobs to keep life going. Their group was sufficiently decent in size, efficient in surviving so far.

Andrea and Amy were sisters who were on a road trip when Atlanta was bombed and napalm ignited in the streets. Shane, Lori and Carl were there, Shane taking leadership and control, much to his amusement Charlie thought. It was a huge stroke to his ego. There was Morales and his family coming from where Charlie didn't remember. Then there was Carol, Sophia and Carol's bastard of a husband Ed. Charlie didn't know the man but hated him. She could see the signs. He beat Carol into a quiet church mouse and looked at his daughter in ways that were just not right. There was Glenn, Jacqui, T-Dog, and Jim who were on their own individually before finding what Charlie now deemed the Atlanta survivors group. Dale, a wise older man who Shane was annoyed with nearly every day, had his RV which served as the look out station. Dale and Charlie took watch a lot. Trading off shifts just to keep an eye out for other survivors and or walkers as the dead had now become named. There were others in the group but none of which Charlie could remember. And of course how could she forget the two responsible for keeping her alive. The Dixon brothers. Merle and Daryl were the odd pair. The black sheep so to speak of the group.

Just as Charlie had guessed it, it didn't take long for Daryl to fall into Merle's direct shadow. With the eclectic group of people forming the Atlanta survivors, Merle figured he'd show his true ignorant colors and racist remarks, Daryl falling in line behind him and Charlie finding herself always having to stick and defend at least the younger Dixon. She began to refuse to defend Merle. If he wasn't on some obnoxious rampage one minute, he was puffing his chest and strutting his invisible feathers mocking Shane for being the leader. The one good thing about other women being around, Charlie was less apt to being called Sugar Tits and that was a blessing. Otherwise, life in what the world was now...it was hell.

It took a few weeks to really get a system going in camp. To dive and conquer labor and duties willingly. Charlie remembered at one point Andrea bitching that they'd reverted back to the stone ages with the women doing the cooking and cleaning while the men, mostly Daryl and Merle, hunted while the others protected camp or went on supply runs in the neighboring suburbs or in and out of the city. Glenn, the nice Korean kid from Atlanta, usually led the runs into the city. He knew the city well as did Jacqui.

It was a particularly warm morning already when Charlie stepped away from her reflective thoughts and out of her single person tent Daryl had found for her to the smell of something cooking. She looked around the camp at the various faces. Lori emerging from her tent as well, Carl already with Sophia playing a board game of sorts that Carol had brought with them. Shane following right behind her. Charlie nodded at the woman who smiled back. Shane gave a morning nod and Charlie raised raised her brows in response with the slightest smirk. She wasn't stupid. She knew what they were up to and she was pretty sure half the camp knew. Lori Grimes wasted no time moving on from her husband's death, the end of the world no doubt the catalyst for such actions.

"Morning Charlie." Carol smiled warmly and handed her a plate of something. Charlie looked down and sighed. Left over squirrel and what most likely remained of the powdered eggs.

"Thank you." She spoke softly. Carol nodded and turned back to cooking for the rest of camp.

Charlie sat down and eat her portion, not exactly full or satisfied after the last bite. She noticed Merle from across the camp and sighed realizing he didn't go with Daryl hunting for more food. In her mind, that meant that the older Dixon was up to no good. No doubt looking to start trouble within the group again.

"Mornin' Sugar Tits." Merle hollered over to her and laughed when Charlie flipped him the bird and handed her plate to Mrs. Morales for washing. Her dish duties were scheduled for dinner time. In the mean time, she was to help with laundry and then trade off with Dale on watch while he took a short break.

"What are they up to?" Charlie asked aloud to no one in particular.

"A run into the city." Carol answered. "Supplies are low."

"We need whatever they can bring back." Lori added. "Amy and I are going to pick some mushrooms. I'll be back in a bit."

Charlie nodded and took a basket of laundry in her hands. She began walking down to the water at the bottom of the quarry, Jacqui behind her. The two woman moved down to the water bank and silently started on the washing. Charlie caught Jacqui's sighs and let one go herself. It was a mundane routine but that routine kept camp going and since they'd made it this long, something had to be working right.

"You think Daryl will come back with anything?" Jacqui asked the blonde beside her.

Charlie looked up from one of Daryl's shirts she was scrubbing at and smiled at the woman with the short cropped hair, sweet voice and dark skin. "I hope so. He's the best hunter I've ever met. Tracks and hunts a helluva lot better than Merle, even when Merle's sober."

"Good. I'm of eating squirrel." Jacqui laughed kindly.

"You get used to it." Charlie shrugged. "Back home, at the bar, we'd have some pretty interestin' fare. My daddy would hunt with the Dixons and always bring back something. If it was deer, venison was the special. Rabbit, we had stew. Squirrel made for a nice little appetizer. " Jacqui was interested listening. "We'd have burgers, and fries and the normal bar food too but I always enjoyed cooking what Daddy brought back. At the bar was the only time we'd ever bond or get a long. Especially when I got older."

"You miss him?" Jacqui asked.

Charlie wasn't sure how to answer that. She hadn't exactly fully come to terms that this was the way life was now. She still felt like she was dreaming. "I don't know. I think I did at first. Those first few days or weeks but now, it's just me."

"Merle and Daryl seem to look out for you." She pointed out, reminding Charlie of what she still had.

Again, Charlie shrugged. "I suppose. Although it ain't the best choice. At first it was okay, but I know those two. Probably too well, and well...anyway..."

Jacqui nodded and the two women went back to their chores. Heading back up to the quarry when they were finished, Charlie hung both baskets of clothes to dry as Jacqui joined the group for the run. She walked past Carl and Lori teaching the kids a lesson for the day. Lori and Carol had made it a point to keep up with teaching their kids things they'd learn in school like practicing math and reading and writing. Charlie admired that in them.

Charlie made it to the RV but before she could climb the ladder to relive Dale for a few hours, Glenn stopped her.

"Need anything from town?" He asked. He was a nice guy, in his twenties Charlie had to guess, eager to help and sightly reckless. But that slight recklessness in him made him their go to guy because he was quick, knew his way and could get in and out unscathed.

"No. I mean other than what everyone else wants, right? Food, water. Maybe a piece of chocolate. Cigarettes." Charlie laughed. "I'm okay."

Glenn sighed. He didn't want to ask but, "Anything Daryl might need?"

Charlie looked beyond Glenn to Merle waiting by the group that was leaving. "Merle's going, if Daryl wanted anything he'd have a list."

"Okay. See you later." Glenn nodded and left to join the group as Merle said something derogatory about Glenn's nationality.

Charlie sighed and shook her head. She most definitely gave up sticking up for both Merle and Daryl when it came to the comments. The most she'd say was that Daryl knew no better growing up and that Merle was the only influence and role model he had. People looked like they'd always want to argue with her or remark that Daryl was in his thirties and surely knew that was no way to treat people and that was when Charlie shrugged and walked away. She climbed the ladder to the roof of the RV to relive Dale.

"Want a break?" Charlie asked.

Dale, slipping the binoculars down from his eyes brimmed by a bucket hat, smiled warmly at her. He'd taken a liking to her as well as Andrea and Amy, thinking of the three women like daughters he never had. He had been widowed long before the dead began walking the earth, cancer taking his wife, no doubt the love of his life. Charlie knew he was still smitten with her even today. She hoped to have a love live that. Just forget the rest of life as long as she was able to love like that. However, that was a fantasy and the reality of it was, choices were slim, very slim.

"No, darlin'. I'm okay." Dale replied. "Would you just mind maybe getting me a glass of water?" He wiped his brow with the edge of his shirt. "It's a hot one today."

Charlie smiled with a nod. She retrieved Dale his water and offered to help Amy with picking mushrooms. The two girls were in charge of dinner for the night along with dish duty and Charlie figured why not get a head start on the meal.

"So, I don't think I ever asked you. How is it you know Daryl and Merle? I mean, you're so nice." Amy smiled at Charlie.

Charlie looked to the younger girl and raised her brow. "Well, we grew up together. My dad and theirs were hunting buddies, high school friends. Town drunks. Small town shit."

Amy giggled. "Have they always been so...rude?"

"Racist? Been such dicks?" Charlie added her own spin. "Yeah. No. When Merle isn't around, and don't ever repeat this, but Daryl can be a stand up guy. To an extent. He still has many of those...Dixon traits on his own but he's different. At least with me he is."

"So, have you guys...are you?" Amy was pressing for typical girl talk.

Charlie had to laugh. "No. Definitely not."

"Not even once?" Amy asked. Charlie shook her head. "I guess I see that now."

"Daryl doesn't exactly make himself available. He's too wrapped up in Merle and his shit to realize that there are others out there that are good people. Other people who care and won't turn their back on you." Charlie told her. Amy could see the softness in Charlie's tough exterior when she talked about Daryl. There was a hint of emotions there that told her the answer she was seeking.

Hours passed and the day drew on, the group hadn't returned from the city and tensions were relatively high. Shane was now keeping lookout at the edge of camp while teaching Carl about rope knots with Dale working on the RV hose with Jim. Amy was pacing, worrying about Andrea when T-Dog came over the CB radio. His message was sparse and grainy.

"All I got was they're trapped in the department store." Dale relayed down to the group who was standing below him listening. Shane and Amy traded arguments about how she thought someone should go into the city and help them. Free them, but Shane wasn't having it. Saying something about how it was risking the rest of the group to dwindle numbers like that. Amy called him a son of a bitch and ran off, Charlie chasing after her.

Charlie found Amy near the tents, crying softly. "Hey."

Amy sniffed. "Hi."

"Look, you know Shane is right. Don't you?" Charlie placed a hand on the young blonde's back. Amy nodded. "It's hard, I know."

"Aren't you worried about Merle?" Amy asked quietly.

Charlie had forgotten about he'd even gone. She sighed. "No. It's horrible but no. I'm more worried about having to tell Daryl at this point that his asshole brother is trapped or dead in Atlanta. He'd be outta here in a hot minute to get him."

The look of worry wasn't gone from Amy's face and Charlie saw that. She had hoped to have given Amy a bit of hope in talking with her.

"I wouldn't worry. Andrea is with some very capable people. Even Merle is smart when he wants to use his brain. He may be a dumb redneck but he's a survivor. Glenn is quick and Morales and T-Dog have the strength and determination. Even Jacqui knows the ins and outs. They'll get out. It may not be today but maybe tomorrow."

An obnoxious car alarm alerted the two women talking and they ran to where the edge of camp was, just was a red hot Dodge Charger was speeding in. By now all of camp was looking on as Shane halted Glenn. Amy began firing off a million questions. Glenn tried to quickly answer them all over the loud alarm of the Charger. Shane unplugged the battery, stopping the noise. Glenn then was scolded by Shane and Dale along with many more questions by Amy until finally the chaos lulled.

"Everyone is fine. Merle, not so much." Glenn sighed. Charlie caught that answer but didn't get an explanation as a box truck pulled into camp.

Out came all that went, except for one. Merle Dixon hadn't returned and Charlie now feared the worst. She would have to know what happened, have to get the facts, all of the facts before telling Daryl upon his return that Merle was gone. It was a chore she wasn't looking forward to. A conversation she didn't want to have. However, thoughts of that impending conversation were stopped when Charlie witnessed one of the most memorable moments and happiest sights she'd seen since this new life, this new world started.

The pure joy on Carl's face as he ran towards a man that was dressed in a deputy uniform, hollering "Dad!" The man's arms were reached outward catching him, sobbing tears of joy as the man was seemingly reunited with his son. Shock settled in on Lori's face as she saw her dead husband alive and well. Tearing her eyes away from the reunion, Charlie watched the dark cloud loom over Shane. He looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The jar being Lori.

All of camp was enamoured that night of the story of Rick Grimes and his return to his family. The newcomer, Rick, detailed on how he rose from his coma to find that the hospital he'd been in had been over run and he talked about a man who found him and took him in. Charlie didn't catch the man's name and excused herself for dish duty once Rick had finished his story. After dinner chores, the Atlanta survivors sat around the camp fire, embers low for little to no detection. A bitter coldness had settled, signaling it was late in the night.

Ed, Carol's husband had built his own campfire, too large for Shane's comfort and he'd let him know. Charlie disliked Ed, much the same as the rest of camp, but Carol and her daughter, Sophia were fine. Charlie stared into the flames, tuning out Shane's argument with Ed and small conversation happening between Lori and Rick. Dale nudged her a bit and she sighed, coming back into the group as Shane rejoined them.

"Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon?" Dale asked the group that had gone to Atlanta. He knew that telling Daryl shouldn't just fall on Charlie's hands. It wasn't her responsibility.

"Dale..." Charlie tried to hush him. Dale was looking out for her when the brothers couldn't or wouldn't.

"Charlie...He's not not going to be happy to hear that his brother was left behind." Dale continued in his own defense.

"I'll tell him." T-Dog spoke up. Charlie looked to him and her eyes seemed sympathetic. T-Dog felt guilty, Merle Dixon or not. "I dropped the key, it's on me."

"I cuffed him. It should be me." Rick added.

"Guys it's not a competition. And I don't mean to bring race into this but, it might sound better coming from a white guy." Glenn sighed.

"I did what I did. Hell if I'm gonna hide from it." T replied.

"We could lie." Amy suggested.

"No, we tell him the truth." Andrea added her two cents. "Merle was out of control. Something had to have been done or he'd have gotten us killed." Andrea looked to Lori. "Your husband did what was necessary. And if Merle got left behind, it is nobody's fault but Merle's."

"And that's what we tell Daryl?" Dale questioned Andrea. "I don't see a rational discussion to be had from that, do you?" Andrea shrugged.

"I appreciate the suggestions. But I should do it. I wasn't there but I'm about the only one he'll listen to. If he don't fly off the rails first." Charlie sighed. She was saddened by the news of Merle being left behind but not to the extent that she knew Daryl would be. She was more sad for her...friend, if that was the right term for Daryl. He now had nothing left, just like her. They were alone, with only each other to care for. And in her own defense, Charlie was trying but Daryl, he hadn't abandoned his promise to Jake, he'd just changed the rules. Charlie was still fed and safe in camp but his constant watch and determination had dissipated the longer they were in camp.

"Word to the wise, we are going to have our hands full we he get back from this hunt." Dale looked to Charlie as he spoke, knowing that a lot of the pressure sat with her. If she wasn't careful, Daryl would implode and gone would be the somewhat stable camp they had when he was around.

"I was scared and I ran. I'm not ashamed of it." T-Dog was again justifying his actions.

"We were all scared, we all ran. What's your point?" Andrea, ever the lawyer she was, gave a rebuttal.

"I stopped long enough to chain that door." All eyes, shocked eyes, were on T. "The staircase is narrow. Maybe half a dozen geeks could squeeze against it at one time. It's not enough to break through it. Not that chain, not that pad lock." He looked to Charlie and then to Andrea. "My point, Dixon's alive. And he's still up there, handcuffed on that roof. That's on us."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you to those who've read and reviewed! And to those who've added this to your watch list! Thanks for the kudos and all the love! Here is another update for you all... look at that! And with 3 days to go before the season premier of season 5! Maybe we'll get one more in but I'm not making any promises! Busy weekend! - Z

Once the embers were down to red burning pieces of charcoal, Charlie retired for the night to her tent. She sighed thinking of the very empty one beside her. Daryl and Merle were sharing one, the same one that the three of them had occupied when the camp was first established. It took all of three weeks and continuous discomfort for both Daryl and Charlie before Daryl managed to find Charlie her one single person tent while out on a hunt. Charlie was uncomfortable because she had to room with Merle who was usually pulling his meat when he thought no one was looking, or at least when he thought Charlie was. And for Daryl, the discomfort came from having her so close. Three weeks was all it took for things to really change for Daryl and Charlie and that she blamed Merle for. There was no doubt that the older brother had gotten back inside his little brother's head. Telling him shit about women and no doubt the mixed races of the group. And once again, always wanting to be under Merle, walk his shadow for fear of what Charlie assumed was abandonment or ridicule, Daryl reverted back to his old habits.

Daryl would make rude comments about Glenn or T-Dog, hell even Shane. He'd look at Charlie differently. It was a look she was used to and one that meant he had a different mind set than the one that he'd have if Merle's back was turned. One that would tell her she was good for nothing aside from cooking, washing, cleaning and whatever other derogatory bone Merle would throw the women in camp.

Rest was futile knowing Daryl was due back the next day, or so she'd hoped. She had wanted to go with him but he'd insisted she stay at camp, do her 'job' as 'a woman' in camp. She was almost positive she'd heard him call her a stupid bitch as Merle watched the exchange happen between the two of them. He was always showing off for his brother, seeking approval and he damn well near got it every time.

By dawn, Charlie was up and with very little sleep. Dale had caught up with her by the fire and given her a cup of instant coffee. A treat she knew he was hiding from camp. "Thank you." She smiles half hearted while accepting the cup.

"I figured you'd need it. Rough night?" He asked, sipping his own cup. Dale's eyes scanned camp, looking as others were starting to rise with the sounds of the morning. "Better drink up. If Ed or Shane see you, they'll be all over me like tar on a roof."

Charlie didn't even answer his first question but laughed a bit and quickly sipped down the weak, luke warm brew. She handed her cup back to him and set about seeing who needed to help with breakfast. It looked like it was going to be her and Lori on duty. Carol rose and began warming an old fashioned iron, getting to work on ironing what clothes needed it. Camp moved about its business. Shane seemed to be missing and Dale explained to Charlie that he'd gone down to the quarry to collect water for the camp.

Once breakfast was served, Carol went back to ironing while Lori hung clothes on the line. Charlie made herself useful by collecting the next round of clothes that needed to be washed that afternoon in the quarry lake. Eventually, Rick emerged from the tent he now shared with his reunited family, Lori having explained earlier that he needed the rest and she didn't want to wake him. He looked cleaned up and different in his jeans and a plain white tee. He nodded in greeting to Charlie, moving on to see Carol ironing his uniform before seeing Lori at the clothes line.

Charlie sighed as the basket she was carrying began to get heavy. Setting down the basket, she tossed her blonde locks up in a bun, bangs flying around her face. She dusted her hands off on her jeans, faded and worn out by the long periods of time she'd gone wearing them nearly every day. While assisting on a run, she'd gathered a few garments for herself, having left her bag behind at the bar in a hurry. At one point Daryl had made a promise to retrieve her things for her once they'd settled camp but Charlie had talked him out of it, claiming it was too dangerous and if needed she'd get more somewhere else. She and Amy seemed to have shared a few items as well as Lori with her but the clothes fit ill and with the weight loss from meager rations, Charlie stuck to her pair of jeans, her boots and her tank top. She'd stolen a shirt from Daryl, a flannel, and the only one that had sleeves remaining on it, for herself early on during a cooler night.

Shane speeding up into camp from the lake in a Jeep startled her from her absent thoughts. "Water's here. Remember to boil it before using." He hollered to camp as a couple people helped haul the water from the back of the Jeep. Getting back to work, Charlie began collecting clothes again until she heard terrible screaming from the children in camp who'd wandered off slightly to play at the edge of the woods. Lori in full panic began calling for Carl as Carol called for Sophia. Rick ran forward with Shane hot on his heels, as most of camp joined them. Weapons or shovels or whatever they could use at the ready.

The men ran past the children as they came barreling into the edge of camp. Rick holding whatever Shane threw to him as a weapon, Charlie not clear on what it was and Shane wielding his gun. Charlie ran past Lori coddling Carl as Jacqui checked on the two of them. She wanted to see what the flurry was about, she held on to a small pistol Daryl had given her at one time on the account that he didn't like the way Ed would look at her and on occasion, Merle.

Everyone stopped short of the clearing as a deer with arrows stuck in it was being eaten by a lone walker. Her heart sunk as she recognized the feathered ends of the arrows to be Daryl's. Upon a slight better look at the walker, it wasn't the youngest Dixon but rather what used to be a man of larger size feeding on what was no doubt supposed to be camps major meal ticket. People were on edge as they now observed the men in camp impale the man with what they could to put it down. Pick axes, shovels, poles, whatever they could beat it with to what they thought would kill it. Dale delivered the final blow, dismembering the head from the torso.

"We've never had one come up this far to camp." Dale openly observed.

Jim sighed as the others were quiet. "They're running out of food in the city is why."

Rustling soon was heard from the surrounding bushes and those armed braced themselves for more walkers to emerge from the brush. What they were met with instead was one dirty and tired looking redneck. Charlie felt her heart skip in nervousness

"S'um bitch. That's my deer." Daryl hollered. Charlie relaxed ever so slightly but she caught Rick eyeing the man who joined up just now. "Look at... all gnawed on by this filthy, diseased bearin', motherless proxy bastard."

"Calm down, Son. That's not helping." Dale interjected his rant. Charlie groaned as she watched Daryl look to set off on him.

"What do you know about it, Old Man?" Daryl now yelled in Dale's face. "Why don't you take that stupid hat and take it back to On Golden Pond?"

"Daryl!" Charlie yelled back at him. Surprisingly, his outburst stopped with a sigh and he turned back to the deer, but not without a side glance to Charlie.

"Been tracking this deer for miles," he began pulling arrows from it's hide, "was gonna drag it back to camp. Cook us up some venison." He looked to Charlie again, knowing she'd make the camp one of her venison specialties if he had asked. Now looking to the deer and back towards Shane who stood beside Charlie, he spoke again, "What do you think? Think we could cut around this...chewed up part right here?" He asked indicating the section of meat he thought they could cut around.

"I would not risk that." Shane sighed, shouldering his shot gun. The realization that Shane was right settled in with everyone. No one really know at this point exactly how one became a walker and there weren't going to be any chances taken.

Daryl sighed at the disappointing reply. "It's a damn shame. Whelp," he looked to Charlie, "I got us some squirrel, about a dozen or so." He took hold of the string of small creatures he had over his shoulder and held it out. "It'll have to do." Daryl looked at Charlie and Shane.

'Great,' Charlie thought, 'more squirrel.' She inwardly sighed.

The sound of jaws chomping on the ground beside Charlie's food startled her causing her to jump slightly once she realized the walker's head was still moving. "Oh God!" Wide eyes she stared at his as Daryl was quick to act, again surprising the blonde. In the last five minutes she'd been around him, he once again was a different person. As if the hunt made him whole and he needed relief. Every the confusing man, he was.

"Come on people." He took his crossbow from his shoulder, "What the hell?" He released an arrow, or bolt as they were termed. The arrow hit it's mark right in the middle of an eye on the gnawing head, finally killing the motions for good. Daryl's booted foot held the head in place as he retrieved the bolt. "It's gotta be the brain."

Rick watched as Daryl walked away, back in the direction of camp. He looked to Charlie across from him, beside Shane as Daryl made a final smart ass comment about people not knowing anything and he noticed Charlie's shoulders fall.

"And there he is." She rolled her eyes as she spoke, following Daryl back towards camp.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Alright, here is one more update for this week! Enjoy! I'll get more out sometime shortly after Sunday! Enjoy the start of S5 everyone!

It took mere seconds for Daryl to start hollering for Merle as he walked into camp. All eyes were on him as he whistled and hollered. "Merle! Merle!" He called out. "Get your ugly ass out here. I got us some squirrel. Let's do 'em up." He set his bow down by the fire, preparing to unshoulder the creatures.

"Daryl... hang on a sec. I need to talk to you." Charlie started but Shane and Rick were quick to interject. 'This ain't gonna be good.'

Daryl stopped walking for a sec and turned on his heel to see what was wanted of him. He knew it was best to listen and with Merle not around, he seemed more calm, less likely to lash out. Charlie knew that was all about to change. She saw the shift in his demeanor quickly as Shane mentioned a problem in Atlanta.

"He dead?" Daryl asked. Charlie stiffened at the question, the thought entering her mind herself. Daryl looked around briefly as the rest of the Atlanta survivors circled around the conversation. That action pitted Charlie in the middle with Daryl and Shane. She grew nervous as Daryl began circling Shane.

"Not sure." Shane replied. The air was thick with anticipation of what exactly was about to transpire. Charlie swallowed hard as she heard Daryl's voice again.

"He either is or he ain't." Daryl glared at Shane and then at Charlie who merely shrugged.

Rick took this opportunity to step forward. "Look there is no easy way to say this so I'll just say it."

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl didn't recognize the man walking forward to approach him.

"Rick Grimes." Rick replied.

"Rick Grimes, you got something you want to tell me?" The anger was building in Daryl and Rick wasn't making the situation better. Charlie was well aware that Daryl wasn't the best at meeting new people.

Rick took in a breath and spoke, "Your brother was a danger to us all. So I handcuffed him to a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there."

Daryl turned away from Rick. Charlie could see his emotions again changing. She stepped forward to reach for him, but he quickly backed away. A glare sent her way. "Hold on, let me process this." His voice cracked slightly. "You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof. And you left him there!" Daryl yelled.

Rick nodded, "Yeah."

It took seconds for Daryl to respond. The string of squirrels went flying at Rick and as he ducked out of their way Daryl came charging to hit him. But before Daryl could connect the punch he was ready to throw, Shane bulldozed Daryl tot he ground. The two men in a pile. Shane rolled away and stood as Daryl pulled his Bowie from it's sheath.

"Watch the knife." Someone said.

Daryl soon swiped at Rick with the knife as Charlie called out for him to settle down and back off. Rick seemed to be handling his own, no doubt from his police training. On Daryl's second attempt to swipe at him, the action was blocked, the knife hitting the ground while both Rick and Shane now held Daryl. Charlie ran in and picked up the blade, stepping back out of the scuffle as the two cops tried to detain a raging Daryl Dixon. Rick let go as Shane enveloped Daryl into a choke hold.

"You best let me go." Daryl struggled against Shane.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't." Shane argued as he brought Daryl to the ground.

"Choke holdin's illegal." Daryl continued to fight, his air supply running short, his face turning beat red.

"You can file a complaint." Rick spoke quietly, trying to remain calm.

"C'mon man, we can keep this up all day." Shane added as he still restrained Daryl.

Rick looked Daryl in the eye on bended knee. "I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. You think we can manage that?"

Shane felt Daryl relax slightly in his grip and nodded to Rick, obviously indicating that he was going to let the man go. Again Charlie stepped forward to inject herself into the situation, she handed Rick Daryl's Bowie and stepped back.

"What I did was not on a whim." Rick looked to Charlie then back to Daryl. "Your brother does not work and play well with others."

"It's not Rick's fault." T-Dog spoke up.

"T..." Charlie tried to stop the man from continuing. Rick seemed to have the situation under control and there was no telling what influence Daryl was now under that his emotions were wild.

T held up a hand to Charlie and shook his head. Charlie just watched Daryl as T-Dog continued. "I had the key. I dropped it."

"Ya didn't pick it up?" Daryl asked, his breathing under control as he still sat in the dirt and gravel of the ground.

"I dropped it down a drain." T-Dog replied.

Daryl sunk his head between his knees and breathed heavily. Charlie stepped forward towards him as camp looked on. She didn't care how many different Daryl Dixons she continued to see over the last couple of months, this one now seemed so lost and very quickly at that. Daryl seemed to be trying to get up and Charlie moved to help him. He allowed her to help him rise to his feet and she looked at him with sad green eyes.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. He shrugged her off.

"That's supposed to make me feel better, it don't." He barked at her and walked away but T-Dog speaking up again stopped him in his steps.

"Then maybe this will. I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at 'im. Locked it with a pad lock." He said.

"It's gotta count for something, right?" Rick added.

Daryl swung his sideways glance to Rick glaring as sweat and possibly a couple tears streaked his face. "Hell with all y'all." He choked out and Charlie felt her heart break. Daryl wasn't an emotional guy. He usually dealt with life and problems with anger and lashing out. This was different. She could see the hurt and hear the sadness, the loneliness. "Just tell me where he is. So I can go get 'im."

"He'll show you. Isn't that right?" Lori now spoke up, in reply for her husband. She knew he was gearing to go back for Merle no matter what she said and now seeing that the decision weighed heavily on him, plus Daryl's demands, Rick was leaving again.

Rick nodded. "I'm goin' back."

Charlie didn't miss the quick exit Lori made into Dale's motorhome. Everyone seemed to look around at one another and ever so quietly, the group dispersed back into their tasks and chores. Daryl left for his tent area where he and Merle had shared a space beside Charlie's tent. With a deep sigh, she took the Bowie from Rick and followed the upset man.

"Daryl." Charlie called softly out to him. She knew he was inside his tent. She waited for a reply she really knew wasn't coming before barging into the tent.

"Git." Daryl snapped at her, turning his face away from her. He was hiding from her. Hiding his feelings, his emotions, his tears.

"No." Charlie wasn't going to budge.

"Charlie." Daryl stood tall, his back still to her. "Don't."

"Don't push me away anymore. You've done it long enough. We're supposed to look out for one another. Keep each other safe." Charlie reached to turn him to face her but he quickly did it himself.

"Lotta good that did huh? Merle's trapped up on some roof and I'm stuck here with you." He spat.

Charlie took the brunt of his words. "I'm sorry I'm such a God damned inconvenience. Take your damn knife. I really hope you find him when you go back." She dropped the Bowie in his hand and turned to go but as she stood at the door flap she turned on her heel. "I don't know what in the hell I did to be treated like a piece of shit by you. Merle, I can let that go, that's him. But you, even back home before all this shit, you never were this bad. You did what you needed to do. I get it, you kept your word. Kept me safe. Now that were in a group, it ain't on you anymore. That's how you feel, right?" Daryl just glared at her with this sideways stare. She nodded at his lack of response. "Fine. Wash your hands clean of me, go get your brother and just come back safe. Because you may no longer give two shits about me, but know that every time you aren't around, I'm scared. I'm terrified and I pray like hell that you, the both of you come back alive. These people don't know me. They know nothing about me. You may not think it, but you and Merle are all I got left. We're family, friends, whatever. And just because you seem to have taken a dislike to me as of late, Daryl Dixon, don't you think for one second that I don't care about the two of you."

And she left him there, stunned with her words. He knew he was being a dick but that was only because he had Merle in one ear and his own self in the other. Having taken up in this group more than he can bargain for sometimes, he felt used. Felt as if he was just the means to food and nothing else. He didn't expect much from these people. They were all just trying to survive, to deal with whatever was being tossed at them. It wasn't anything different for him now than it was before. He struggled daily to get by, to put food on his own table and money in his pocket. Now there was no money, maybe never would be but the rest of the daily struggle didn't change. It was all a constant reminder that he had only himself and that was it. He always had Merle's back, he was blood, his brother. That didn't change anything with anyone. Even now. Merle had some plan to rob the camp blind of all they'd had once he'd returned from Atlanta with supplies. Charlie had no idea. It was just to be him and Merle, leaving her in the safety of the group. There would be no regrets for he knew he really couldn't keep her safe, not on his own. She was better off in this group. Better off in numbers than with two dumb rednecks who were trailer trash in everyone else's minds.

Sure he'd washed his hands of her but only for her own good, for her benefit. He looked to the knife that Charlie placed in his hand and sheathed in. He picked up his crossbow and left the tent. He was going to Atlanta, going to find his dip shit, strung out brother and get back. They'd continue on with their plan. Daryl Dixon was convinced that Charlie was better off without him.

Walking back to the middle of camp, Daryl didn't even bother to glance in Charlie's direction as she helped Amy pile up fire wood. Rick and Shane were in a heated conversation that neither paid any attention to until Shane called Merle a douche bag.

"Hey, choose your words more carefully." Daryl spoke calmly but in warning to Shane.

"Oh no I did. Douche bag's what I meant." Shane spat back turning his attention back to Rick and their tiff.

"You alright hun?" Lori asked joined her and Amy. Charlie nodded, knowing Daryl could hear her speak. Lori caught the end of Rick and Shane's conversation and brought up a point. "So you and Daryl, that's your big plan?"

Rick shrugged and turned to look at Glenn who was beside the Charger. All looks indicating he wanted the Korean on his team for the retrieval.

"Oh c'mon!" Glenn protested.

"You know the way." Rick reasoned. "You've been in and out, no problem. You've said so yourself. It's not a fair request, I know that but I'd feel a lot better with you along and I know she would too." Rick pointed to Lori.

"As would I." Charlie added. Daryl looked in her direction but she just looked to Glenn and Rick.

"Oh that's just great." Shane spit on the ground. "So now you're going to risk three men." He didn't like the idea that somehow just over night, he'd lost leadership and people were siding with Rick on all things. What was more infuriating was that is for someone the likes of Merle Dixon.

"Four." T-Dog volunteered.

Daryl scoffed at T-Dog volunteering to go, the frustrations towards the man obvious. "My day just keeps getting better and better don't it." He kept cleaning up the bolts he had in his hands.

"You see anybody else here, steppin' up to save your brother's cracker ass?" T-Dog asked.

"Why you?" Daryl answered with a question of his own.

"You wouldn't even begin to understand." T-Dog answered. "You don't speak my language."

Charlie knew what T-Dog was talking about. He was a man of faith and his faith and conscience wouldn't allow him to leave things the way they were without the chance of redemption. She stood from her spot with Amy and Lori, dusting her hands off from splinters. "I could go and make it five."

"No." Shane, Rick and Daryl all snapped at her. She shook her head and stood there, hip cocked to the side, arms folded across her chest as Lori now stood beside her, Carl sitting down on a log between them.

"So that's four." Dale sighed.

"It's not just...you're putting every single one of us at risk. Just know that Rick." Shane tried to stand on whatever ground he could that was left of his authority. "C'mon, you saw that walker. It was here, it was in camp! They're moving out of the city, they're heading here. They get here we're going to need every able bodied person to protect camp."

"It seems to me that what you really need here are more guns." Rick countered.

"Right." Glenn stepped forward, puzzling Shane. "The guns."

"What guns?" Shane asked.

"Six shot guns, two high powered rifles, over a dozen hand guns." Rick replied. "I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed. It's just sitting there on the street waiting to be picked up."

"Ammo?" Shane questioned, now seeing that this plan seemed to be brighter and better with the hopes of protection for the group.

"Over seven hundred rounds, assorted." Rick nodded.

Lori saw the changed in Shane's demeanor, his sway towards agreeing with the plan. "You went through hell trying to find us. You just got here and now you're going to turn around and leave?"

"Dad, I don't want you to go." Carl spoke up.

Rick gave Lori a look that she seemed to know meant he had no other choice, that he needed to do this. "To hell with the guns." She spoke. "Shane is right. Merle Dixon? He's not worth one of your lives, even with guns thrown in." Rick began to approach her and the anger was evident in her features. "Tell me. Make me understand."

"I owe a debt to a man I met, and his little boy." Rick grabbed at Lori's hands. "Lori, if they hadn't taken me in, I'd have died." He sighed and looked into her eyes. "It's because of them that I made it back to you at all." Lori cocked her head trying to understand as her husband continued to tell her about a man he met. "He said they'd follow me to Atlanta. They'll walk into the same trap I did if I don't warn 'em."

"What's stopping you?" Lori asked quietly.

"A walkie-talkie in the bag I dropped. He's got the other one. The plan was to connect when they got closer." Rick explained. If it was one thing he knew that his wife knew about him, even through all of their troubles, Rick was a loyal man. Lori dropped her head in defeat. Charlie had by now again found herself standing near Daryl.

"Was it our walkies?" Shane asked.

"Yeah." Rick nodded.

"So use the CB. What's wrong with that?" Andrea, who had been watching the exchange between this part of the group, asked.

"The CB is fine. It's the walkies that suck to crap. They date back to the seventies and don't match any bandwidth in the scanners in our cars." Shane explained.

"I need that bag." Rick spoke softly before kneeling down to Carl's level. Charlie sighed and left the group. He went to the RV to collect a back pack.

The trip to Atlanta was happening and they'd need an overnight bag of things just in case they got trapped and couldn't get back out. She grabbed a couple of canteens of water and some trail mix and jerky for the four whom were traveling back in the box truck. Daryl and Glenn were waiting in the truck for T-Dog and Rick who were attempting to procure bolt cutters from Dale.

"Here." Charlie tossed the bag into the back of the box truck. "There's water in there, a few other supplies." Daryl was pacing the back of the truck like a caged animal, time ticking away as Rick and T "chatted" away with Dale and Jim. Charlie moved to speak to Glenn who was in the driver's seat.

"What the hell?" He complained observing the foursome.

Charlie ignored the anger bubbling brute and spoke with Glenn. "Just bring everyone back safely. I tossed a bag back there with some stuff. Hopefully you'll be back by night fall or just after."

"Yeah." Glenn sighed. He wasn't looking forward to going back into Atlanta so soon. "Thanks Charlie. We'll get Merle back for everyone's sake." Charlie nodded knowing what he meant. If Merle was back, Daryl would be calm, but the camp would still go back to the ways of two days ago when both the Dixons were in camp.

Tired of time being wasted, Daryl shoved his leg in front of Glenn, his boot pouncing on the horn of the box truck. The sound interrupted both conversations. "C'mon, let's go!" He hollered.

"See ya." Glenn said to Charlie as she walked to the back of the truck. Shane was giving Rick a few spare rounds for his gun and didn't miss the fact that he said something about four rounds and four men. She looked into the truck at Daryl who gave a curt nod and sat down in a corner towards the cab. Charlie nodded in acceptance of his lack of a goodbye and walked away. She sat on the hood of Daryl's truck with Lori and Carl.

"Glenn's going to take care of them." She told Lori confidently. "And as much as I'd hate to say it, the Dixons are survivors. They've been through a helluva lot worse than bein' left behind. Hell, it's been happenin' to them all their lives."

"That doesn't make it any easier." Lori sighed and slipped from the truck as Carl left her, storming off to the tent.

Charlie sat there for a while, staring in the direction that the truck had driven off in. She could empathize with Lori in one respect. Like Rick, Daryl had just returned. Granted they weren't in any sort of relationship or what not. But like Charlie had told Daryl, they were family even if he didn't think the same. Those two disfunctional rednecks were all she had. "Ugh," she grunted, "What I wouldn't give for a smoke and a drink." She said to herself aloud as she shoved off from the truck and left to find something to occupy her time.

Even after acknowledging that Daryl had practically written her off completely, Charlie couldn't find it in herself to distance her things physically from where Daryl resided his tent. Inside she collected clothes from there and made her wait to see Carol and some of the other women from camp by her vehicle with Ed smoking away in the driver's seat, looking ever impatient. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure, no problem." Carol replied and Charlie tossed the few garments she had from the tents into the back of the station wagon, joining in the ride down to the lake.

At the lake, as Amy, Andrea and Carol began washing the clothes, Jacqui and Charlie continued to empty the back of the wagon. Loud laughing and shouting was coming from the water not far from where they were cleaning clothes.

Shane seemed to be doing something with Carl and Jacqui sighed. "I'm beginning to question the division of labor here." She nodded over to the noise.

"Welcome your new life." Charlie joked with a smirk.

The sound of whatever they were doing kept on for some time. Ed stood at the back of the wagon, smoking and staring at the women. Andrea and Amy were oblivious to his stares while Carol just continued on with what she was washing. Jacqui and Charlie stood dunking garments in the water to start scrubbing.

"Somebody want to tell me what happened that we ended up doing all the Hetty McDaniel work?" Jacqui rolled her eyes.

Amy giggled. "The world ended. Didn't you get the memo?" She smirked and looked to Jacqui as Carol turned to see her reaction.

"That's just the way it is." She handed Charlie a garment to be squeezed out and set in the pile for drying on the line. Charlie looked to Ed as he smugly stared. She shook her head and went back to work.

"You know, I never thought I'd say it, but I miss my bar and servin' up drunks every night. Seeing my regulars." Charlie sighed as she rung out a pair of pants.

"I do miss my Maytag." Carol added.

"I miss my Benz, my sat nav." Andrea chimed in.

"I miss my coffee maker with that gold drip filter and built in grinder, honey." Jacqui smiled.

"Computer, texting..." Amy sounded off.

Andrea stopped scrubbing. "I miss my vibrator."

All the women stopped their task and looked at the older blonde, former lawyer. Smirks and giggles came from them.

"Oh God." Amy jokingly gagged.

Carol looked back to Ed and then went back to working on the garment she was working on. "Me too." She smirked causing all the girls to erupt in laughter like it was something they'd never expect her to say.

"I'd say that makes three of us." Charlie rolled in laughter as she admitted the same thing.

"What's so funny?" Ed asked. They hadn't even heard him coming down to the shoreline to see what had made the women stop their work.

"Just swappin' horror stories, Ed." Andrea replied.

Ed stalked down closer and stood menacingly close to Carol. Charlie turned and shook her head. "Got a problem, Ed?"

"Not one that concerns you." He spit at Charlie. He spoke directly to Carol. "You oughta be focusin' on your work. This ain't no comedy club."

Charlie scoffed and he shared in her staring contest momentarily until Jacqui nudged her to refocus her attention back on the laundry instead of Ed. Charlie shook her head and got back to work. Andrea felt the distress and uneasiness that Ed brought as he stood there close enough to smell the smoke he pushed out between his lips.

"I tell you what, Ed, you don't like how laundry is getting done, you can do it yourself." Andrea threw a wet shirt at Ed who just as quickly as he'd caught it, threw it harder back at Andrea, causing her to lose her footing slightly.

"It ain't my job missy." Ed grunted, shocking Andrea.

"Andrea don't." Amy warned, obviously fearful for her sister.

"What exactly is your job, Ed?" Charlie now asked. She had seen plenty of assholes like Ed Peltier in her days at the bar. Hell a majority of her regulars were assholes like Ed and Merle if they were Merle Dixon himself. "Sittin' on your ass somkin' all day?"

"It sure as hell ain't sittin' here listenin' to some upity smart mouthed bitch and bartendin' whore, I'll tell you what." Ed argued back in reply. "C'mon." He hollered at Carol.

Jacqui and Amy watched as Carol quickly started wringing out the clothes and tossing them into the basket in a panic. Worry and fear on her face.

"I don't think she needs to go anywhere with you, Ed." Andrea stood up for Carol.

"And I say it ain't none of your business." Ed stepped closer to Andrea and Charlie stood stepped into the middle of them. "C'mon now, you heard me." Ed called to Carol with a come hither finger.

Andrea turned to try and stop Carol from leaving at her husband's demand and Charlie made the mistake of putting a hand up to Ed. He pushed at Charlie and growled in her face.

"Don't think I won't knock you on your ass." He said. "And you too, just because you think you're some college educated coos." He directed to Andrea, just behind Charlie.

"Carol." Charlie seemingly begged for her to not listen to Ed as Andrea stood there disgusted at Ed's comment.

"Please, it doesn't matter." Carol whispered to Charlie.

"Now you come on now, or you're gonna regret it later." Ed threatened Carol.

Jacqui was quick to speak up. "So she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed?"

Ed was not liking the fact that he was being ganged up on by these women before him. Especially since they were protecting Carol. They didn't know their situation and it was sure as hell none of their business he thought.

"We've all seen them, Ed. Doesn't take a floosie to recognize that someone is in trouble. All it takes is observation." Charlie stood her ground, protecting Carol and Andrea.

"You all ain't gonna keep proddin; the bull here. Now I am done." Ed grabbed Carol's forearm. "C'mon."

"No, no, Carol you don't have to do this." Andrea tried to release Carol from Ed's grasp as Charlie stepped closer to Ed to block his way in dragging Carol.

"You don't tell..." Carol murmured.

With the escalation of the women, Ed lost his cool and began yelling at everyone of them. "You don't tell me what? Huh?" His hand was quick to connect with Carol's face sending her into Andrea and Amy as Charlie shoved at Ed to get him to back away. Before she knew it a right hook connected with Charlie's face causing the blonde bartender to rear back and fall to her rear on the mud. With Charlie out of the way, Ed began reaching for Carol again, the women trying to protect her as she held the side of her face and whimpered.

No one even heard or seen Shane coming before it was too late. He dragged Ed away from the women and began impaling him with his fists. All the rage that had built up in him the last couple of days starting to pour out hit after it. Carol turned to see her husband being beaten on the ground and as any woman who feared her husband but loved them just the same would do, she began begging for Shane to stop. To just leave him be, that he didn't mean it. The other women were calling for Shane to quit but only because in the state Shane was in, he could have killed Ed.

"SHANE!" Charlie screamed and pulled at Shane's arm, his elbow clipping her in the lip, sending her back to the mud again. She spit a little blood out of her mouth and stood this time to her full height before approaching Shane who had stopped beating on Ed and was threatening him.

"You put your hands on your wife, your daughter or any one else in this camp, I will not stop next time. Do you hear me?" Shane threatened. "Do you hear me?" He growled. Ed moaned in reply. "I'll beat you to death, Ed. I'll beat you to death." And with a final punch, Shane stood and walked away not even bothering to check on Charlie or Carol.

Carol ran to Ed's side, sobbing over him as Amy rushed to Charlie to see if she was alright. Shane was stalking back up to camp as Charlie and Jacqui stared off at him, Andrea just looking at the scene before her and wondering how it got so out of control so fast.

"Are you okay, honey?" Jacqui turned towards Charlie as she spit out more blood from her mouth. Her eye was swelling and Jacqui knew there'd be a bruise by morning.

"I'm fine. Nothin' I ain't ever had happen before. I've been in the middle of many bar fights." Charlie sighed, pressing a finger tip to the corner of her lip, feeling the blood and wiping it on her jeans. "C'mon, let's get this stuff back up to camp. Take that piece of shit up too." Charlie nodded over to Ed and Carol.

Amy and Jacqui could only nodded, both still in shock as Andrea started helping Charlie collect baskets. Little did they know that come tonight, so much more would change for the Atlanta Survivors.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This is so much fun to write. It's been a week and a hot minute since I updated... Probably should get somethin' out! I own nothing but Charlie. Enjoy! Please R&R!

The day was getting darker and they had yet to find Merle. In fact, there was no chance in finding him now. Daryl knew that to be fact and now the primary focus was getting Glenn back from some Mexican gang that had taken him hostage when his group went to collect the bag of guns Rick had dropped in the middle of the street. Daryl held one of their own hostage, a kid, barely eighteen if that. He'd tried to attack Daryl after the two other men grabbed Glenn. He'd managed hit one in the ass with a bolt before they got away. The shit with the gang just added to his already shitty day.

When Daryl reached the city with Glenn, Rick and T, they scaled the department store stairs to the rooftop only to find nearly no sign of Merle once the lock was broken on the door. The tools were there, the handcuffs and a hand. It became obvious that once he'd come down from his high, as Rick had explained and Daryl known it to be most likely true, Merle Dixon became desperate and since he couldn't slip the cuffs, he did what he thought he had to do to survive. He sawed his hand off. There was a trail of blood down over the side of the roof and back inside through an emergency access ladder. Merle had broken a window to enter the building and among a mess of blood and downed walkers, he'd found a kitchen and cauterized his wound with catering burners and a meat iron.

As Rick and T talked about a plan to get Glenn back after the first failed attempt, Daryl reflected on his brother and the words he spoke to Rick earlier. "No body can kill Merle but Merle." It was true, but right now the evidence spoke louder than words. There was a lot of blood, but the walkers that were freshly killed gave Daryl hope. Something that Daryl lacked of through life. However, hope is what drove him lately. Hope that they make it the next day, hope that he's doing alright by his brother, by Charlie. His mind shifted quickly to the blonde bartender. She had said some things that stuck and while he wouldn't admit to her that she was right, he had to admit it to himself. He was different around Merle but that was because he always felt the need to be sided with his brother, it was how they got through life. Why should the end of the world change that? Charlie knew him well enough to know that herself. He didn't understand why she expected anything differently now.

The clattering of guns hitting the table caught Daryl's attention from his thoughts. He looked up and saw Rick rummaging through the bag of weapons, taking some from it and placing them on the table before them. "Them guns are worth more than gold. Gold don't protect your family, put food on the table. You willin' to give that up for that kid?" He asked Rick of Glenn.

"If I knew we'd get Glenn back, I might agree." T-Dog added. "You think that vato across the street is just going to follow through?"

"You callin' G a liar?" The hostage asked.

Daryl seethed that this kid even thought he had a place to speak. He had already caused him enough due stress for the time being. "You apart of this? You want to hold on to your teeth?" He smacked the kid in the face as he yelled at him, feeling a familiar rage run through him as he used words his father might have with him and Merle.

"Rick, the question is, do you trust that man's word?" T asked with a thoughtful sigh.

"No the question is what'cha willin' to bet on it? It could be more than them guns." Daryl countered with his thoughts. "It could be your life. Glenn worth that to you?"

Rick loaded his Python and holstered it. "What life I do have, I owe to Glenn. I was in a lot of trouble when he found me in that tank. He could have walked away but he didn't, and neither will I."

"But you'll hand them guns over." It was more of a statement than question coming from Daryl.

Rick shook his head. "I didn't say that." He looked between Daryl and T. "There's nothing keeping you two here. Get out, head back to camp."

"And what do I tell your wife and son?" T asked rubbing his head.

Rick stalled his movements and looked again between T and Daryl. Daryl just gave a nod of agreement like 'let's do this' as he reached for a shot gun. The kid stood to argue but Daryl quickly shoved him down. There was more protest and whining from him but it went on ignored as the shot guns were loaded and dealt with. The exchange would happen on Rick's terms.

Once weapons were loaded the three men and their hostage headed across the way back to the garage where the vatos were keeping Glenn. Daryl held the kid at gun point in the back. The leader, G, didn't like the fact that Rick had guns out and no bag. The argument quickly turned when Rick and G began fighting over who the guns actually belonged to and where Glenn was. There was even a threat of dogs attacking the three men from camp. However, the situation quickly stalled when an elderly Hispanic woman came to the front of the group, searching for her grandson. Albeit, he was the one Daryl had shot in the ass earlier in the day with a bolt.

"Abuelita, what are you doing?" The big bald man asked. "I told you to go back with the others."

"Best get that old lady outta the line of fire!" Daryl demanded.

The woman spoke to her grandson, now known as Philipe, in broken English about a man who seemed to be having an asthma attack and needed his medicine. G gave an order to Philipe to go take care of it and to take the old woman with him but she stalled seeing the newcomers with shot guns and a hunting riffle.

"Who are those men, Mio?" She asked. She walked up to Rick demanding her grandson not be taken. Obviously thinking that something was happening to him, she went on to explain that he was a good man, who took care of people. Rick tired to reason with her stating that he wasn't there to arrest her grandson and that they were looking for their friend, Glenn. The woman, oblivious to the actual situation seemed to have a light click on. "Oh the Asian boy?"

Rick realized he now had control and would use the old woman for information. "Yes, Glenn. Do you know where he is?"

"Oh yes, come, come." She turned and waved him on. "He's with Mr. Gilbert. I'll show you."

The old woman led the group out of the garage and across a courtyard to a nursing home. Walking through, Rick realized that there were survivors inside the building, all elderly with some family members. Philipe took the lead now, still with a visible limp from the bolt hitting him earlier, as the older woman continued to weave down the halls to the multi-purpose room. A small crowd was around an elderly black man who was wheezing, hand on his chest. Glenn, fine as ever, was standing next to him, trying to help him calm his breathing.

"What the hell is this?" Rick asked now seeing through the front that was the Vatos.

"Asthma attack." Glenn now noticed his fellow survivors in the room. "He couldn't catch his breath."

"We thought you were being attacked by dogs, man." T-Dog stared wide eyed. Glenn looked over his shoulder at the two dogs in question and smirked at the three tea cup sized canines.

Rick grumbled and asked G to step aside. As they spoke in harsh whispers, Daryl looked around the room. He saw two different walks of life of people. The Vatos, and the elderly. It seemed obvious though his observations that these now reformed gang members were helping out those who couldn't get out. It amazed him how they survived the initial bombings of the city. However, the napalm seemed to only be in certain main areas while this nursing home remained on the outskirts of the city.

"Come with me." G said and the men from the camp outside the city followed him into an office just off of the multi purpose room. "I'm just the custodian around here. Phill, he's a nurse, a special care provider."

"Some front." T-Dog huffed.

"The Vatos, most of these elderly are their grandparents. When things too a shit, the staff took off, just left them here. Me and Philipe, we stayed." Guillermo, G, explained.

"Why didn't you leave?" Daryl asked.

"Most of them are sick, or too old to move. The Vatos go on runs, scavange the city for supplies, medicine and check on their grandparents. You're not the first people we've had to defend against. So you get where I'm coming from."

Rick nodded. "I woke up from a coma, no staff. Found the hospital I was in shot to hell. There were walkers all boarded up against some metal doors. I know how these people feel, being abandoned like that.

"Guess the world changed." T-Dog commented.

"No." G shook his head. "It's the same as it was before. The weak get taken. So we do what we can. The Vatos fix up the cars in the garage in hopes of getting out, but it's all the same. These people can't go no where. It keeps us busy though, keeps hope alive. Spirits stay up. These people, the elderly, they look to me know. And I don't even know why."

"Because they can." Rick replied to the rhetorical question. G looked to him wide eyed, like he didn't believe the former deputy. Rick looked to the double barrel in his hand and handed it to G. He unzipped the bag of weapons and spared a few more. Daryl groaned and walked out of the room. He was displeased that Officer Rick wanted to divvy up more of their groups protection.

'Might as well give it all up.' He thought as he groaned when Rick came out of the room with the other men, the bag seemingly lighter.

Goodbyes were short, knowing all to well that they'd probably never cross paths again. There was a promise that if they were ever in the area again, Rick would check in on them and G offered that if they ever needed anything they'd help if they could. Back outside, the stash of other weapons that Rick and Daryl had hidden were retrieved, including Daryl's crossbow and they headed back towards the box truck.

As they were nearing the fence where the truck was stashed, Glenn started laughing. Rick looked to him oddly. The young Asian man stifled his laughter and shook his head. "Admit it, you came back for the hat."

Rick laughed, seeing the humor in the situation. "Don't tell anybody."

Daryl, still being sour about giving away the guns, finally decided to express his discontent. "You've given away half our guns and ammo."

"Not nearly half." Rick argued.

"To who? A bunch of old farts that are gonna die momentarily anyhow. Seriously, how long you think they got?" Part of him knew his complaint was reaching. Daryl wasn't that cold of a person, was he? But the other part of him knew he was right.

"How long do any of us really?" Rick again countered.

As they rounded the corner, all four men halted in their steps. Glenn's mouth dropped open as Daryl's eyes squinted, neck moving his head forward slightly as if what he was seeing wasn't real, just a blur.

"Oh my God." Glenn gasped.

"Where the hell is the truck?" Daryl asked dumbfounded.

"We left it right there. Who the hell would take it?" Glenn was beginning to panic.

Rick looked to the younger Dixon and Daryl's shoulder slumped, knowing Rick's answer. "Merle."

"Dang." T-Dog sighed.

Daryl shook his head and bit into the corner of his lip. "He's gonna be taken a helluva lot of vengeance back to camp."

"Then we better hurry." Rick stated as he started walking forward, his pace picking up to a light jog while the other men followed suit.

-/-/-/-/-

In camp, the group was sat around the fire eat plates of fish and drinking some warm beers that had been found on a run not too long ago. Andrea and Amy had brought in a good haul with Dale's gear. Jim was allowed to join the group after calming down from his heat exhaustion. Sun stroke did not do that man any good. He had dug holes in the ground based on a dream he had and everyone knew he'd just gone off his rocker. It was expected. Poor guy was the lone survivor of his entire family, some said they'd sacrificed themselves so he could escape. Jim never talked about and Charlie didn't blame him.

Everyone was gathered around, talking casually aside from Ed. He'd stayed in his family's tent, sulking no doubt after the incident earlier in the day with the women and Shane. Charlie was beginning to sport a nice shiner from the man. Carol seemed hell bent on making sure she was alright, wishing she had ice to help Charlie with the swelling. Charlie kindly smiled, knowing all too well that while Daryl wasn't there, she was on her own. She was a tough cookie could hold her own.

"This is great." Charlie complimented on the fish. Carol and Jacqui helped with the frying while Charlie had helped clean it.

"Thanks for the tips." Carol smiled.

Dale was in the middle of some story about his watch when Amy excused herself to the bathroom. It wasn't long before the whole group turned at the sound of Amy screaming from the doorway of the RV. A walker was taking a rather large bite at her arm. Andrea was the first on her feet and running to Amy's aide with Charlie and Shane on her heels. Walkers were coming from everywhere. The Atlanta survivors scattered as Shane gave the call for people to get down. He fired from his shot gun, hitting a few with the large shells. With the group scattering, some seeking shelter and others looking for a way to defend themselves, chaos ensued.

Charlie had her knife in hand and the pistol she'd been given. She began taking down walkers with what few bullets she had in her chamber. Everything was happening so fast it blurred in her mind as she took down a few walkers. She could hear screams and cries coming from those being attacked and the smell of gun powder filled her nose. Looking for a small escape, she saw an opening towards the entrance of camp. Most of the walkers were coming from the woods, meaning they were coming from within the city, somehow getting around whatever barricades she knew were in place.

Charlie caught sight of Carol and Sophia ducking and crying, trying to avoid the flying bullets from in experienced shooters and walkers that were chasing their prey through camp. Carol couldn't see the walker just to her left as she approached Charlie.

"CAROL DOWN!" Charlie yelled as she fired her pistol, taking out the walker nearly two feet away from grabbing at Carol or Sophia. Carol looked on in shock as she grabbed Sophia and ran in a different direction quickly.

Lori and Carl were packed in tight behind Shane as Dale covered Shane's back with shots of his own. Others, Jim included were using baseball bats or pick axes to fend off their attackers. Charlie watched as Jim managed to take out the walker that attacked Amy just as Andrea was able to reach her. Amy now had wounds that would seal her fate, one in the arm and another in her neck. She was bleeding out quickly, even Charlie could see that in the darkness of night. Andrea hovered over her and Charlie moved on through more walkers. She moved towards the tent area of camp as more walkers emerged from the woods.

Charlie found herself in a deep panic as she used her last bullet from the gun, her knife her only means of protection at this point. She was surrounded. Three walkers were making their way to her and quickly, vying for their next meal. She could hear people calling out to get to the RV but it would be no use for her. She needed help or she was gone. She was making peace with the fact when two walkers went down near her. In shock, she gasped and raised a hand to her face.

Rick, T-Dog, Glenn and Daryl came from behind the walkers, determination and fear mixed across their faces. Daryl fired the shot gun he was carrying at the final walker behind Charlie before charging ahead to help out the rest of camp. Charlie took this chance to get to the RV as Shane had called out moments before while the rest of the men who were packing took out the remaining walkers. Finally the final waker went down and all seemed quiet at camp.

Rick ran to Carl and Lori who were with Shane, Carol, Sophia and Dale near to RV. Morales and his family were there, hugging each other tight. Glenn seemed to still be in a panic as he surveyed the damage the small group had taken. Jim was creeping up from the shadows of the tent area, panting and sweating from the fight. Charlie stood near Daryl, looking to him with forgiving eyes as he seemed to glance at her quickly with relief before looking around as Glenn had.

Cries could be heard from those who survived, those who were mourning the loss of their loved ones. More importantly, cries were coming from Andrea who sat over Amy as she continued to die. Everyone knew when Amy took her last breath as Andrea's cries turned to sobs and Charlie herself had to control her tears. She swallowed back the sadness as everyone turned to watch the two sisters. Daryl, uncomfortable with the emotions, turned away.

"I remember my dream now." Jim broke the groups spoken silence. "I remember why I dug the holes."

"Oh Jim." Carol sniffed as she hugged Sophia closer.

Rick held Lori and Carl tight. Shane looked around, seemingly trying to come up with what to do next. Dale watched over Andrea as she cried over her sister's body. Charlie couldn't handle the same air everyone was breathing right then. Her adrenaline was coming down from it's high and hard. She walked away towards the tents and instantly felt the presence of someone behind her. She knew it woulnd't have been anyone or thing dangerous. She knew exactly who it was just for the fact that it was silent steps following her.

"Where the hell ya goin'?" Daryl asked in a harsh, concerned whisper.

"I just want a break for a minute." Charlie answered. "I can't...that." She pointed to Amy and Andrea. "I can't do that yet. I can't listen to that."

Charlie turned on her heel and walked away from Daryl. He stood in place, watching her disappear into her tent. He shook his head and turned back towards Shane and Rick. Glenn soon joined him at his side.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"She okay?" Glenn answered with a question of his own.

"Don't know." He replied and walked back up the small incline to where everyone stood, leaving Charlie in her tent and Glenn standing nearby.

The Korean looked back and forth between Daryl and Charlie's tent before deciding someone should check on her. He wasn't in anyway involved with Charlie, but considered her a friend. "Charlie?" Glenn called out.

"Yeah." She replied. There was a slight fear still to be heard in her voice, a tremble even and Glenn stepped inside her tent.

"You okay?" He asked standing inside. He looked around for her but really, it was too dark to see and Charlie hadn't turned her lantern on.

"I'll be fine. Thank you." Charlie sniffed. She shuffled her feet towards Glenn's voice. "It's just a lot to take in. That was scary."

"What happened?" Glenn asked. He could feel that Charlie was close, for her body heat was felt nearby.

"I don't know. Everything happened so quickly. We were eating dinner, waiting for you all to come back and Amy got up, went to the RV and that's when everything started. They came from everywhere. We were surrounded." Charlie quickly yet quietly explained. She feared talking louder than a whisper for she wasn't sure if that was just the first wave of walkers or if they were gone for now. "I...I just really need a minute and I'll be out to help with whatever Shane or Rick need."

Glenn nodded but realized it was dark and his response wouldn't be seen. "Alright. Do you want me to send Daryl in?"

"Oh God no. I'll be out." Charlie sighed. "Did you... is Merle?"

"Crazy story, he's just gone. Vanished." Glenn replied and left Charlie's tent.

That answer didn't ease her worries any less. Now she worried about where the buffoon was on top of the fact that she couldn't sleep without fearing she'd be eaten alive. Rubbing her hands over her truly exhausted face, Charlie straightened herself up and left the tent. It would be a long night, no sleep for anyone. She'd have to try and talk to Daryl about Merle when they had a free and private moment.

For now, her task was to help take care of their dead.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you for the reviews and kudos, reblogs and what have you. It's motivation. I don't own anything but Charlie! - Z

At dawn, the bodies were piled up and some were digging holes. The group had worked through the night to take care of the dead, clean up camp, repair any damage. The walkers that emerged from the woods had wreaked havoc on the Atlanta Survivors. Those that weren't a part of their group, the walkers from the woods, they were piled up and set to burn while those who died in the battle as some survivors were calling it, were laid side by side, ready for burial. Daryl helped with muscling the bodies around through the night. He watched Charlie check on families who'd lost loved ones through the corner of his eye. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even Charlie herself, but she'd given him a quick scare when he'd realized she was in trouble.

"Here." Shane handed him a pick axe. "We've gotta do it."

Daryl nodded, knowing what he meant. There were those who'd died last night that hadn't yet turned and those bodies needed to be taken care of. Needed to be dealt with. He took the axe from Shane and began doing away with those that needed it. He saw it as a job something that had to be done to protect himself, to protect Charlie. With Merle gone, he had her and only her to look after and while it was a sad relief, it was bitter sweet knowing that he didn't have to deal with high Merle anymore. Daryl knew Merle was alive, call it brotherly intuition or whatever, but he knew that he was out there. Hopefully nursing a high and staying safe. Without infection and maybe, just maybe he'd make it to camp. There was a cause for concern only in part that maybe he'd lost too much blood and passed out, driving the box truck off the road and crashing into a tree but there were no such indicators as Daryl, Rick, Glenn and T-Dog raced back to camp on foot the night before.

Charlie caught a glimpse of Shane and Daryl, saw Daryl take the axe and start swinging. She flinched at the first blow she saw, her stomach bile rising in her throat, burning. Swallowing it back down, she drifted over to Andrea, still mourning over Amy's body. "Andrea, I'm so sorry." The tears pricked her eyes. Of anyone here, Charlie was probably closest to the two sisters. Andrea remained silent and just watched Amy. "Andrea, Lori thinks that the guys are going to come and take her. Help you with..."

"Today was her birthday." Was all Andrea said.

Charlie caught sight of Lori approaching after talking with Rick and Shane. She didn't want to get in the middle of it all and left her friend to mourn. She was avoiding contact with Daryl if she could. Through the night, he'd keep glancing at her, as if he was watching her but still offered no words to support that notion. And now that it was day time, the last thing she needed was an earful about the shiner she had fully developed over her eye. Not to mention the still tender lip from Ed. Ed was gone but Shane was still alive and there was enough animosity growing in camp without Daryl adding more. Needing to take a much needed break, Charlie stalked back to her tent.

Daryl saw her leave the main drag of camp, back towards the tents and walked off after dispatching another body with the axe. He needed a drink of water anyhow.

"Hey." Daryl called out to her as he approached her tent. She didn't answer and Daryl grumbled. 'I hate the silent treatment.' He thought. "Charlie?"

Charlie emerged from her tent, "What?"

"Stay..." he paused seeing her face, "What the hell happened to you?"

"It's nothin'. I'm fine." Charlie brushed past but he was quick to grab her arm. He'd grabbed her a little rougher than either had expected because she glared at his hand and then back to his face as he let go. "I tried to protect Carol from Ed yesterday and my face fell into Shane's elbow. I'm fine. I've taken worse from your brother."

Charlie left Daryl there, seething with many things. It was in no right frame of mind to put your hands on a woman. He'd see that all too often growing up and that was one thing where he and Merle didn't agree. Merle thought a little smack here and there was okay, and it might have been for the whores he had around but when it came to women like Charlie, it was unacceptable in his mind. He agreed that women were made for housewife work like cooking, cleaning and baring children but that was it where women were concerned with he and Merle. He remembered all too well the night that Merle was so drunk and high at the bar that Charlie and him both had to pry Merle off of someone, only Charlie got the brunt of a backwards swing. She nearly broke her nose and sported a deeper, bigger black eye than the one Shane's elbow had given her. He looked over to Carol who sat quietly with Sophia. If her husband were alive, he'd have words with that son of a bitch, more so for Charlie getting hurt than anything. She was still his to take care of and no matter how much he avoided trying to do that in camp, last night made him realize he was wrong in thinking others would take over.

Moving back up the small hill from the tents to the rest of the group near the RV, the debate now was how to get Andrea to move away from Amy so she could be taken care of properly. Daryl caught the back end of the conversation but it was enough. He stood by Charlie, who stood by Lori with her arms folded.

"Poor thing has been there all night. I don't blame her but Amy needs to be handled now." Lori stated.

"She's grieving. You'd do the same thing wouldn't you?" Charlie asked looking at the two women over her shoulder.

"Yes but not when everyone else's lives were at steak." Lori countered.

"I say we leave her be for now." Rick stated and Dale agreed.

"You can't be serious?" Daryl asked. "The dead girl is a time bomb."

"Well what do you suggest?" Charlie asked with a glare.

"Take the shot." He spat back at her. She shook her head. "Clean, in the brain. from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey from between the eyes at this distance."

"You're an insensitive prick sometimes, you know that?" Charlie spat.

"Man's got a point." Shane couldn't believe he was agreeing with him.

"No." Lori now turned her position to that of support. "For God's sakes, let her be."

"You're nuts." Daryl said to Charlie as he sulked off back to help the others with the rest of the bodies.

She sat there staring at Amy and Andrea with sad eyes. Lori nudged her arm with her elbow. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Charlie nodded. "Ain't nothin' I can't handle."

"I mean..."

But Lori's words were stopped short when Daryl's yells sounded. "You all left my brother for dead. You had this comin'."

"That'." Lori nodded to the youngest Dixon in hysterics and frustration.

"That is what I was talkin' about." Charlie ran a tried hand over her face and winced as she did so. She stood to check on Daryl but realized it'd be futile. They both needed more time to cool off from everything that had been happening and she just needed her space. It was bad enough that things were so broken within camp, she didn't need to continue to lose the only lifeline to home she had left.

"Jim's been bit!" Jacqui yelled out to everyone. Charlie walked up to her and Jim as Jim started panicking.

"Jim?" Charlie saw the man stagger and struggle as camp members began circling.

"Show it to us." Daryl demanded.

"It's nothing." Jim protested. "Just a scratch." Jim grabbed a shovel to protect himself against everyone but things escalated quickly.

Before Charlie could process anything in her mind, T had Jim and Daryl was lifting his shirt to reveal a bite wound, fresh and ugly. He kept repeating that he was okay over and over, already seemingly under the effects of the bite. Camp members backed away, the circle growing loser. Charlie stepped forward to help Jim. Daryl wanted to pull her away but hesitated.

"C'mon, let's get you in the shade with some water." Charlie held Jim's upper arm and guided him over to the back of the RV where he sat on the ground. Charlie gave him a cup of water as he sat there sweating and heaving his breaths. "You alright?" Jim could only nod sadly. "It's gonna be alright. We'll figure somethin' out."

"You're such a doll, you know that?" Jim complimented her and Charlie smiled sadly at him herself. "You're good for these people. A voice of reason. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I'm just a little ol' bar tender from a podunk town." Charlie sighed.

"No. You're smart and you've got family in these people. Trust that." Jim explained. "Even if he ain't here, he's always looked out for you."

Charlie was slightly confused at Jim's words. He seemed to be somewhat delirious now or so Charlie thought. "Jim, just drink your water."

There was commotion in the circle of the group. Charlie sat by Jim as he quietly drank up more water. Charlie caught Daryl's glimpse back and T-Dog's stare as Shane and Rick argued over something. Charlie didn't like the look Daryl was throwing Jim's direction. It read like he was making some sort of internal plan and when she heard him clearly that Jim was a problem she stood tall watching him come towards them the pick axe raised.

"Daryl! No!" Charlie stood to block Jim, protecting him from Daryl and Rick raised his gun to Daryl's head, cocking back the hammer.

"We don't kill the living." Rick stated and as Daryl turned to glare at him, Shane replaced Charlie as she stepped to the side.

"That's funny. Coming from a man who just put a gun to my head." Daryl pointed out.

"We may disagree on some things, but not on this." Shane stepped in. Daryl tuned in to the fact that Charlie was no longer in place there and looked behind Shane to her. She nodded agreeing with Shane. "Put it down."

Daryl shook his head and threw the pick axe to the ground, stalking off. Shane and Rick by the arms and helped him up. Charlie went after Daryl when Jim was helped into the motorhome.

She found him rummaging through the tent, haphazardly jamming things into his bags and tossing things aside. He was angry, she knew that much but right now, she didn't care. He needed to hear her out.

"Stop." Charlie spoke but her words went unheard. "Damn it, stop!" Charlie reached for Daryl's arm and he pulled away rather quickly. He spun on his heel and nearly head butted her with his forehead. "I am the wrong person you want to be angry with."

"Oh yeah?" Daryl growled.

"Yeah." Charlie growled back. She could play this game. It was easy. "You grew up angry. Pissed off at the world. You feel left out and let down. I said it before and I'll say it now, you can't fight this with anger. People don't work like that. You do, but not everyone else. Stop thinkin' that life is so against you. If you're gonna be mad at anyone be mad Merle. He's lived life strung out more times than not. You're a far better person than that when you want to be. So stop actin' like you don't give a damn about people. Because people surely give a damn about you."

"Ain't got the time for this." Daryl barked. "You don't know me. You don't shit about me or my brother. So why don't you get out and go preach to someone who cares."

"You stupid son of a bitch. One of these days you're gonna realize that I know you way better than you care to admit. You've been comin' in and out of my life since we was kids. You used to sit at the end of that bar where no body would bother you. You'd drink your beer, shoot your whiskey, eat your food and maybe say a word or two that was nice when that piece of shit you call a brother wasn't around. You and I came from the same damn cloth, Daryl Dixon. Born and bred of nothin'. You think I wanted that life...no. But I ain't had no other choice and neither did you."

"Don't..."

"Don't what? Care? Be friends with you? Merle's gone Daryl and I don't know what happened when you got to Atlanta to find him, but don't think you're alone. We need each other to survive. And not just you and I. We need these people. So don't fucking it up because you think that your way or Merle's way since that's what influences you, is everyone's way. Jim is dying. Amy is dead. Let these people grieve the way they want. When somethin' needs to be done, it'll be done. You need to have more trust in people. Not everyone is here to tear you down and out to get you." Charlie felt exhausted. From the emotional roller coaster the last couple of days to no sleep overnight, she was just done.

The two stared at one another in silence as Daryl took in everything she had to say. He said nothing like Charlie knew he would as he brushed past her and out of the tent. With a deep long sigh, Charlie plopped down on Daryl's cot. She propped her elbows on her knees and let her head fall into her hands. She just closed her eyes for a brief second before the sound of a gun shot startled her. She sprang from the tent and up the hill to see Andrea, her gun in her hand, and Amy's head pooling in blood that had remained in her body. She didn't need time to think about what happened. She just put one foot in front of the other and turned back to her tent this time. If she was needed, someone would come and find her.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I only own Charlie. Enjoy the update.

Charlie wasn't sure how long she'd slept but when Glenn had come for her, she knew she felt rested. He came to tell her that they were going to bury the bodies of those from camp they'd lost up on the hill.

"I'll be right out." She spoke softly to him. Charlie waited for Glenn to leave her tent and changed her shirt from the blood and grime stained one she'd had on. She slipped into her boots and as she emerged from the tent, she tossed her hair into a bun. Glenn waited for her as the rest of the group began following Daryl's truck up the hill. They'd loaded those that were to be buried in the bed.

"Rested?" Glenn asked, he looked drained himself.

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't help load them." Charlie bowed her head shamefully. "I didn't intent to pass out. Just wanted to sit for a moment, get away from everything."

"It's okay. We had enough muscle. I'm sure we'll all sleep tonight. Worried or not." Glenn shrugged and Charlie agreed with a nod.

At the top the hill, Daryl was speaking with Rick and Shane as they unloaded the bodies into the graves Jim had dug the day before. "I still think it's a mistake we didn't burn these bodies. It's what we said we'd do right? Burn 'em all? Ain't that the idea?"

"At first, yeah." Rick countered.

"So the China man gets all emotional and we just follow them along 'cause he said it ain't the right thing to do?" Daryl waited for a response. "People need to know who the hell is in charge here. What the rules are."

"Looks like somebody hasn't cooled off." Charlie muttered.

"There are no rules." Rick answered.

"Well that's a problem." Lori chimed in. "That's the problem, isn't it. We haven't had time to hold on to our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need time to bury our dead. It's what people do. We aren't monsters. We're still people."

Charlie took a mental note of who was around. Notably missing was Jim. He, she figured, had to have been still in the RV, hopefully resting until what if anything was determined as to what to do with him. Andrea struggled to get Amy into her grave and while Charlie and Dale offered to help, Andrea insisted she do it on her own. Once Amy was in the ground, the group started down the hill. Shane and T-Dog, along with Charlie offered to help and cover the bodies. Daryl stayed back as well, the more who helped finish the burials, the quicker it would be done.

"How's your eye?" Shane finally asked Charlie as he noticed the way she looked.

"It's alright." Charlie replied as she scooped dirt and dumped it over a grave. "I've been hit worse." Charlie glanced to Daryl who seemed to watch the exchange. When she looked to him, he looked back down and continued working.

"I didn't mean for you to get caught up in all that." Shane continued.

"Shane, it's alright. I used to work at a bar. I've taken a lick or two. I was only trying to keep you from killing Ed." Charlie explained.

"Yeah. I know." Shane sighed.

The situation was left at that as everyone quietly finished their tasks. When all the graves were covered, Charlie left the men and tossed her shovel into the bed of the truck before walking back down to camp, leaving Daryl behind. The group at dinner was sparse, Charlie taking inventory on who remained. There was Morales and his wife, their two kids; the Grimes family, Carol, Sophia; Andrea who slept through the meal, Dale, Shane, herself and Daryl; Jacqui and Glenn. Their group was cut in half after the attack from the woods. They were down to sixteen people.

Shane interrupted the sad silence with his thoughts. "I've uh, I've been thinking about Rick's plan. Mulling it over. There are no guarantees with this plan, but the best thing for us is to stick together. I trust Rick. Known him for a lot of years. So, the plan is to head to the CDC. And if everyone agrees, we leave at first light, okay?"

No one really replied, just a few blank stares and nods. After dinner, it seemed that everyone was on board with the plan to head to the CDC. They all began packing up what they could in order to be ready at dawn to leave camp. Daryl found Charlie in her tent after doing one final sweep with Rick before turning in for the night.

He didn't even bother to see if she was willing to talk with him. He just walked right in and waited for her to acknowledge him. When she took too long, he cleared his throat and grumbled, "When you're done, I need you to help me with Merle's bike. I ain't leavin' it."

Charlie sighed and turned away from packing her bag. "How about we try this again, 'Charlie, can you help me with loading up the bike?' Sure Daryl, I'd be happy to. Or how about, 'Hey Charlie, how ya doin'? You had a brush with death last night, you okay?'" She waited for a response. She shook her head when none came.

Daryl sighed and stood firm in his spot. "Didn't think you needed babying."

"I don't." Charlie grumbled.

Daryl shifted in his spot and eventually settled for a spot on her cot. "I ain't good at this. I made your old man a promise and if you look at it, I followed through. Here, you were safe. In a group, we're all safer."

"Were." Charlie corrected him.

Daryl nodded. "Are you okay?" Charlie now nodded. "I'm gonna get you to the CDC. Keep my promise to your old man." He paused and released a deep sigh. "It's always been just me and Merle. I don't know how to look after anyone else. It was always just us lookin' after one another. What he said went. End of it."

"You don't always have to watch me every minute of the day. I'm a big girl. I can shoot a gun. I'm not someone who has to be babysat. I appreciate you getting me here, rescuing me from the bar. I never meant to be a burden to you or Merle."

"You ain't. Not to me." Daryl shook his head. "I treated you that way and you were right, it was because of Merle. You just...just gotta understand..."

"That you know nothing but anger and to fight like you have your back against the wall all the time. Like a wounded, cornered animal. I know." Charlie reached to touch Daryl by the hand but he stood to avoid her. Charlie looked up to him from her spot. "We're all we got. The only two people who understand one another. Just remember that when you feel like everyone is against you, I won't be."

Her words settled deep within him. He wasn't used to kindness. He thought of something to say, a thank you even but it never came. Shane calling for him to help with something broke their conversation and Daryl's thoughts. He turned on his heel to go but not without a glance back at Charlie. She caught his eye and spoke again.

"Daryl, the way I see it, it's always been you taking care of Merle all along. Be who you really are. The man I hope is inside."

And he turned, leaving her tent.

Come dawn, the truck was loaded up along with Carol's wagon, Dale's RV and Shane's jeep and T-Dog's van. Jim had taken a steep decline overnight, Jacqui keeping watch over him all night. She told Charlie that his fever had spiked and his hallucinations were running through his mind at a fast pace. As the group gathered around to hear Shane and Rick's orders, Charlie finished what little things needed to be tossed into the truck and checked the straps on the bike, making sure it was secure enough. Daryl broke off from the group and came to join her.

She was already sitting on the passenger's side when he came back tot he truck. "What's the plan?"

"Less ammo, Morales ain't goin'. We follow around the city in a caravan. Problems, we honk one time and the caravan stops." Daryl explained.

"It'll take us nearly all day to go around the city." Charlie shook her head.

"It ain't safe to go through, plus it's blocked. Gotta go the long way." Daryl said as he situated himself in the driver's seat. He fired up the old blue truck and looked in the mirror at the bike.

He was leaving his brother behind. He knew he needed to do better to look for him. But it wasn't safe at the quarry. And if Merle was of sound and mind to escape the rooftop, he would have made it to camp. Instead, he decided to take off, leave Daryl behind. Daryl looked to Charlie who was knotting her fingers in her hair, creating a braid down the side of her neck. She looked to him and she gave him a twitch of a smile. Daryl gave her a nod and shifted the truck into gear. He waited until Dale's rig, Carol's wagon, and T's van pulled in front before falling in line. Shane in his jeep brought up the tail end.

They drove through the small little country towns that surrounded the big metropolitan city. As they drove slowly, conserving what gas they could, the hours of the day dropped the sun lower in the sky. Daryl and Charlie didn't speak, the sounds of the wind blowing through the rolled down windows of the truck creating enough noise to drown out conversation but bring a million thoughts forward in their minds. Finally, Charlie looked to him and placed a hand on his forearm as he drove when she saw him tear up and try to hide it. Daryl gave a single shake to his head and Charlie let him go. He wasn't ready to talk about it and she accepted that. She was just there anytime he wanted.

A loud bang from the RV caused the motorcade to stop. Everyone pulled to the side of the road as the engine compartment to the rig began smoking.

Daryl dropped the truck into park and grabbed his bow from the seat in between he and Charlie. "C'mon." He instructed and they both left the truck to join up with everyone at the RV.

"Can you rig it?" Rick was heard asking as the two of them arrived. Daryl immediately took watch along with T while Charlie talked with Carol and Lori, checking in on the newly widowed woman.

Jacqui quickly emerged from the RV claiming Jim had begun a downward spiral in his declining health. "I don't think he can take anymore."

Charlie stepped inside much to Daryl's glare and sat beside Jim. She felt his sweating forehead and sighed. "Oh Jim."

"It's okay." He coughed. "It's okay. It hurts, feels like I'm broken glass."

Charlie felt horrible for the man. He was suffering terribly. Charlie adjusted his blanket and rung out a wet cloth for him from the bowl beside the bed. She placed the rag on his forehead and turned to see Rick entering the RV. The two exchanged nods and Charlie left Rick to speak with Jim.

When Charlie emerged from the RV, she took a spot beside Daryl and shook her head when he glanced to her, taking his look as a sign for an update on Jim from her own eyes. "He's in a lot pain." She folded her arms across her chest and chewed on the corner of her lip. Daryl brought his thumb to his lips and bit on his nail. He wasn't good at goodbyes and didn't know Jim like Charlie had taken the time to get to know everyone at camp. She built a relationship with nearly everyone to a certain extent. He wished he'd done that but instead suffered the consequences of siding with Merle like he'd always done.

Son, Rick emerged from the RV after speaking with Jim. "He wants to be left here."

"And he's lucid?" Carol asked. Rick nodded.

"He wants to be with his family." Charlie realized. The thought gave her goosebumps from chills.

"I would say that's right." Rick agreed with Charlie.

Shane and T-Dog were fast approaching from the small gas station down at the end of the road, hopefully with supplies to get the RV going again, and maybe a little more fuel for the vehicles when Dale spoke freely.

"Back at camp, when I said I agreed with Daryl, said that he might be right. You just me down." He paused a moment to allow everyone to recollect that moment. "You misunderstood me. I would never agree to just killing a man, I was just suggesting that we ask Jim what he wants to do. And I think we have our answer."

Charlie nodded in agreement with Dale. He was right. She watched as the others looked to one another at this new revelation happening before them and very quickly.

"So we just leave him here. Take off, that's it. Goodbye, Jim?" Shane questioned Rick's motives. "I can't live with that."

"It's not your call. My call or even Daryl's call. If it's what Jim wants, then who are we to deny him that?" Charlie butted in.

"Charlie's right." Lori stepped up.

A silent understanding soon was met between Rick and Shane as they moved to help Jim from the RV to sit under a gorgeous tree at the side of the highway. One by on, each member of the group paid their respects to their friend. Daryl didn't have words, he just shared an understanding nod with Jim and turned to the truck. He was one of the last. Charlie stalked up the hill and smiled at him.

"Oh Jim." Charlie tried to control her tears but it was of no use. "I'm sorry."

"Hey. I'm gonna see my wife, my little girl. I'm okay." Jim fought to speak. Charlie nodded. "Take care of everyone."

Charlie took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before retreating down the hill and joining back up with Daryl, who'd waited for her at her door to the truck. He opened it for her and she sadly climbed inside. As the caravan pulled away, every single person watched through their window as they left Jim to fade into darkness under the shaded tree.

From where they'd left Jim, they were no more than another fifteen miles from the CDC. Radio silence came across those who had their CB radios and those that were still grieving, their cries were all that were heard within the vehicles.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Another quick update for everyone... or at least my one faithful reviewer... Debating on changing this one up a bit and am open to suggestions... Next chapter we'll have some Charyl time! - Z

The sun was setting deep in the horizon when the group pulled up to the CDC just along the outskirts of Atlanta. Charlie stepped out of the truck and was overwhelmed by the smell of the many rotting bodies strewn about the grounds. She had to hold back a gag just to walk down the sidewalk behind Daryl. He noticed her lagging and waited for her to step in front of him, in order to protect her from behind. Shane was quickly joining them as the rest walked a few paces ahead. Charlie placed the back of her hand over her nose and mouth to mask the stench but it was no use. It crept into her senses, felt melted into her skin. Hundreds of flies buzzed around, the sound nearly deafening.

"Everyone keep moving and stay quiet." Rick whispered.

There were hundreds of people at least. Just bodies all over the ground. The Atlanta survivors moved around the building to a rolling door at a loading dock. Rick banged on the door in hopes that someone would hear them from the inside. Charlie kept her eyes scanning as she and Daryl waited with everyone for an answer. She had one hand on the gun Daryl had handed her before they exited the truck.

"There's no one here." T pointed out the obvious.

"Then why is it all shut down?" Rick nearly questioned to himself.

"Walkers!" Daryl and Charlie called out. Daryl fired a bolt, hitting the one closest to the group.

"We wasted all that time!" Daryl snarled.

"I made a call. We all made a call." Rick confronted him quickly.

Words were slurred in anger between the two men and Charlie stepped in as did Shane. He got too close to Daryl and Charlie put herself between them.

"Daryl, back off." Charlie shoved at the hot headed redneck.

"You better listen to her." Shan gruffly pointed out.

"She don't control me." Daryl barked back but Shane had turned his attentions to Rick.

"Stop it." Charlie pushed at Daryl.

"Where are we gonna go?" Carol cried as she held on to Sophia.

"Fort Benning. It's our only option." Shane hollered at Rick.

"Carol's right. We can't be this close to the city, not after dark." Charlie pointed out.

"What are we gonna do, Rick?" Lori was demanding an answer from her husband. This was his plan and he was now the assumed leader in their little brigade.

"We don't have the fuel. No food either." Andrea pointed out. "Benning is out."

Rick in a panic looked around at all the people he'd dragged here. He looked beyond them at the walkers closing in on them. He looked to the building and when he thought they had to give up and seek shelter in their vehicles for the night, the security camera on rolling door move.

"The camera. It moved." Rick shouted. "Someone is in there."

"Nah, man. It's a ghost. Just gears winding down. We need to go." Shane tried reasoning with what he assumed to be a delirious man.

"You're killing us! Do you hear me!? We have women and children! I know you're in there! We're desperate. We have nothing left." Rick shouted and banged on the rolling doors. Lori and Shane fought to bring Rick back to reality as a huge commotion erupted among everyone.

"Daryl, let's go. Let's just get to the truck and go. We can make it on our own. Just the two of us." Charlie was in a panic. He could see it on her face, the fear he knew she had of living in this world. He had seen it when he first rescued her from the bar and again the other night when walkers attacked camp. He was about to agree with her, say screw the security and safety of a group when a blinding white light bellowed across the concrete, obscuring their vision as the rolling door curled with a loud noise.

Time stopped it seemed as the survivors waited to see just who was on the other side. No one appeared however and the group took it upon themselves that the door opening was a sign to enter. Staying on guard, weapons raised, they moved inside the government building. There was no one around, not a single soul. No sign that anyone was even trying to survive there.

Then, a man with military issued rifle stood before them dressed down completely in sweats, open toed sandals with socks and a tee. "Hello." He spoke. "Anyone infected?"

"One of us was, but he's gone now. It's just us." Rick replied.

"What are you doing here?" What do you want?" The man with the rifle approached the group and Charlie found herself being placed behind Daryl protectively. She had to peer around his broad shoulder just to see the man who was speaking.

"A chance. We just want a chance." Rick replied.

"That's asking a hell of a lot these days." The man commented and Rick nodded. "You all take a blood test and you can pass go. That's your ticket in."

The survivors all looked to one another and nodded to the ones beside them. Rick turned back to the man before them agreeing on his terms.

They were piled into an elevator, being taken down deep within the building. The ride was eerily quiet as everyone was jammed together with whatever could fit into their overnight bag and on their persons. The man finally introduced himself as Edwin Jenner, a doctor and researcher with the CDC.

"Doctors around here always pack heat like that?" Daryl asked randomly.

Jenner turned over his shoulder and shrugged. "There were plenty left lying around out there."

It was then that the elevator stopped and everyone stepped out, following Jenner down the hall. Charlie looked around at her surroundings. She heard Jenner make a command and the room they walked into illuminated brightly. Daryl nudged her forward at her hesitance as she saw computer monitors and large screens within the room itself. She looked back at him and he nodded for her to keep going. She had one bag over her shoulder while Daryl carried his bag and his crossbow.

"I am all that's left. Welcome to Zone 5." Jenner opened his arms out to his sides.

"If you're all that's left, who's VI?" Charlie asked. She looked to Lori who nodded as if she were thinking the same thing.

"VI, say hello to our new friends. Tell them, 'welcome'." A computer repeated Jenner's command and he again affirmed he was all that remained of the CDC staff.

He led the group into what looked like a lecture hall or conference room as he began to collect blood samples from a box he'd grabbed from a shelf on the way in. Charlie was third in line after Daryl. Everyone passed the blood tests, both Andrea and Charlie getting dizzy in the process from lack of food and malnutrition. The news seemed to have shocked Jenner as he was happy to bring them into the dining area or cafeteria to get them some pasta and a few bottles of wine from the staff stash.

It didn't take long for the group to relax in more ways than they had ever thought imaginable. Dale and Charlie poured wine as stories about lives pre turn were shared. People laughed, people felt connected. People felt safe. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Even Daryl who Charlie never really thought relaxed seemed to be joining in on the festivities. She glanced up from a side conversation she was having with T-Dog over her tattoos and caught Daryl looking at her.

In a way, she realized she'd missed that. She missed the secret stares he used to shoot her way when he didn't think she was looking. The way his blue eyes would follow her around the bar. He had never made a move to ask for her number or to say more than necessary even with Merle not around. And even tonight, when she caught him looking, he shied away and looked back to Dale as he poured Lori a glass of wine.

Daryl swiped another bottle from the counter and opened it. Jenner had also brought out a couple of bottles of harder liquor and set those on the counter too. He'd set his eye on the bottle of whiskey for later. He felt safe, so why no drink. The worst he'd have to do in the morning was get up and live another day. A hangover didn't matter. Not when he was safe, Charlie was safe. It was a celebration indeed. He'd kept his word to Jake, brought his baby girl to safety so she could live out her life alive and well. A slight pang touched his heart as he realized he'd be living his own life alone, without his brother. But wasn't that what Charlie was trying to tell him, that they were both alone and had each other. There wasn't a flame in hell that wouldn't freeze over if she was telling the truth. Daryl Dixon was used to being let down, things not going as planned. He knew that now, within the safety of the CDC, Charlie wouldn't need him anymore. She had the group. He was alone.

His gaze met hers again and this time, he didn't look away when her eyes found his. Charlie raised her glass to him with a small smile. Maybe Daryl Dixon did have a friend in this life. Maybe it came in the form of a bartender he always had an eye for. Daryl nodded and raised his own bottle to her as he took a drink.

Shane speaking broke their gazes, "Why don't you just stick to soda there little man."

Daryl spoke up as he took a step between Carol and Jacqui, taking a piece of food from the table. "Not you Glenn," he started with a quirky smirk, "I want to see just how red your face can get."

The group erupted in laughter at the young Korean man. He was already a few sheets to the wind, a light weight as Charlie noticed. His cheeks were rosy and his nose already a tinge of red. Charlie shook her head at Daryl with a laugh. Clinking glass quieted the group down as Rick stood to acknowledge Jenner. He thanked him for his hospitality and and everyone toasted to the man of the hour.

"Listen, I uh, I'd hate to be the buzz kill here, but when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here. Where is everyone else?" Shane's question brought down the mood of the entire group.

"Is that really necessary?" Charlie shook her head. "We should be happy we have a solid roof over our heads."

"She's right. It's a celebration, Shane. Ain't the time for it." Rick added.

Things quickly turned serious as Shane questioned Rick. "This why we're here, ain't it? To find out what happened, work on getting back to a normal life?"

"When things got bad, a few weeks in, a lot of people here left. Went to be with their families. And when things went from bad to worse, well...the rest bolted the minute the military were overrun. There were those few that stayed until the end, trying to work on something, anything. Figure out what happened. They eventually...opted out, committing suicide." Jenner drank from his glass. "That was a bad time."

"But you didn't leave." Andrea pointed out.

"Why?" Charlie asked finishing the woman's thought.

Jenner shrugged. "I kept working, hoping I could do some good."

"Fucking buzz kill, man." Daryl shook his head at Shane. Charlie nodded noticing that during Jenner's story, Daryl had migrated to just standing behind her. Hands on the back of her chair.

Everyone helped Jenner clean up from what was the best meal they'd had in months. Aside from the fish fry but no one mentioned it as that was the night that the camp was attacked and the day they lost more than their fair share of people. Jenner led them down the halls of offices just off the main room they'd first walked into.

"Nearly 90 percent of the building is powered down, including housing. But there are some cots in storage at the end of the hall and blankets. The couches are comfortable and every office has one. We worked late hours sometimes here and so we tried to accommodate the best we could. Hopefully you can make due here. There is a rec room just at the end of the hall, across from storage where you kids might enjoy hanging out. Just don't plug in anything electronic. However, if you like to read, there are plenty of books in what I would say is a decent library. Help yourselves to whatever room of your choosing. Same with everyone, no electronics and if you shower, go easy on the hot water." Jenner smiled and nodded to the group in goodnight and left them.

Charlie wasn't sure if she heard him right but she could have sworn she heard the words hot water. She looked to Carol and Lori with a grin. "Is he serious?"

With that it seemed like a stampede came as everyone just found a room and tossed their things inside, quickly grabbing at their shower needs before running, literally running towards the bathrooms. Daryl took his time, he'd gone this long without a decent shower, he'd wait until everyone was through. Instead he decided to start on his bottle of whiskey he'd been handed by Jenner. Everyone had made it out of dinner with a bottle or two for themselves or families. He let the warm, golden liquid burn down his throat as he thought about his brother, thought about how he'd gotten to this point. Thought about the blonde just across the hall from him and how she was rinsing away the days and weeks of grime with a proper shower.

He wondered what she looked like underneath her clothes, how delicate she may or may not have been. Then he briefly realized that he was thinking like Merle, the alcohol turning his pigheaded mind on and shutting his more reasonable, real self off. Grunting and grumbling he tried to think of something other than Charlie, but that only caused him to drink more and by then, he was nearly drunk as it was.

Charlie nearly cried at the feeling of the hot water running over her body. She had bumps and bruises from roughing it lately and feeling the clear liquid course over her pours she felt her body relax from life. It felt good to clean out the wounds that had begun to scab over on her face. The small gash in her lip would heal fastest and her black eye was starting to green, a sign of the bruise healing. She scrubbed with the antibacterial soap so hard her skin felt like it was on fire and tinged red. She scratched at her scalp that she swore bits of skin were under her fingernails and so she washed those again. She had a heavy buzz going and looked forward to having another glass of wine from the bottle Jenner had given her when she got out.

She dried off and stood in the steamy room, her hands wiping the fog from the mirror, towel wrapped around her thinning frame. She looked at her reflection and sighed deeply. She barely recognized the person in front of her. Her eyes were sunken, the bruise there but healing. Her freckles seemed more prominent now that the dirt was gone. The last time make up had covered her face was the day Merle saved her in the bar before Daryl arrived.

"Merle." She whispered. "Jesus, I hope you're alright. He needs you. He seems so lost without you. I hope he finds his way. I hope we all do."

Charlie sighed and she stepped away from the sink and into the open area of the office she'd chosen to make her new little apartment. There were no windows, but at least what lighting was provided made the commercial feel dissipate slightly. She rummaged through her bag and decided on a fresh pair of pants, a spare pair that Amy had given her when she first came to camp and a sweatshirt she'd scavenged from a run in Atlanta. She had nothing until those first few runs with her. Her belongings were left back at the bar. All she had was the picture of her and her daddy, the clothes on her back. Daryl tried like hell to find her things at first but it soon faded like the rest of his so called promise. Only as of late had he seemingly been trying again. Charlie had to give him credit for that. She only hoped that what she said struck enough chord with him that even if Merle did return, Daryl would remain the man she was hoping he'd become. The man she knew deep down he had the potential to be. She saw glimpses of him over the years, anytime Merle was locked up or running off on some binge. There was always a kindness to Daryl that seemed to be there. Especially with her. He'd often be too shy or cornered off to open up to her but there were times she saw it.

A small smirk crossed Charlie's lips as she slipped the sweatshirt over her head and padded barefoot out her door and across the hall. She hoped Daryl wasn't showering so she could talk to him. She knocked on the door to his room but no answer came. She called out for him but he still had no answer. Biting her lip, she turned back towards her room and shut the door behind her. Charlie didn't even bother with the bottle of wine. She settled in on the couch and found it surprisingly comfortable as Jenner had mentioned. Before she could utter another thought, she was sound asleep.

Daryl heard her door close across the hall. He was sprawled out on his own couch, forearm over his eyes, his room dark. He had been sitting there with the lights off since he'd emerged from his own shower. He felt good to be clean, but didn't bother enough to dress. He was drunk and didn't give a shit. As long as his door was locked. When he heard Charlie knocking he remained quiet and still. He couldn't face her right now. He was too drunk and even with the liquid courage he had an overwhelming fear and sense of rejection that had reared it ugly head from his depths and consumed him. Daryl had demons and issues that reached far beyond the surface.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Here we go with yet another update... Enjoy readers! Or reader... however many I have and whoever is reading...I own only Charlie. - Z

Come morning, those who drank too much beyond their fair share found themselves hurting during breakfast. Charlie wasn't one of those people however, Rick and Glenn were. Rick was being handled by his wife while Jacqui and Charlie were taking care of Glenn.

"Drink it." Charlie urged.

"I can't." Glenn groaned. The room was still spinning, he was sweating and every sound hurt not only his body but his brain. He moaned and groaned as if it would help. Jacqui stood behind him rubbing his shoulders, hovering over him with a smirk.

"You should listen to her, baby." Jacqui mothered. "She would know."

"Hair of the dog, Glenn. I wouldn't let you down. All you need is just a little shot of whiskey to cure it plus some breakfast. I promise it works." Charlie encouraged as she took a chair beside the poor kid.

T scooped some eggs onto the plate in front of him but he just moaned and groaned more. "Don't ever let me drink again."

Charlie giggled and took a bite of her eggs. Shane entered the room and sat down with everyone, she paid no attention or mind as she ate and tried to continue to coarse food down Glenn. She'd done this one too many times with her old man on many occasions. This was nothing new. She noticed Jenner enter the room and greet everyone. She smiled up at him with a nod of morning greetings but took notice of the man entering the room behind her.

He looked clean, fresh and relaxed. Daryl walked passed her and grabbed a cup of coffee. She took him in. Clean shirt, no sleeves as usual, bed tousled hair and the same pants he'd always been in. His boots were one and his red rang hung from his back pocket. He had seemingly slept well and there were no signs that the redneck was hungover.

Charlie scooted herself away from the table and moved to refill her coffee. Daryl stood beside the machine, sipping his cup, leaning against the counter.

"Morning." Charlie smiled. He nodded and reached for a piece of bacon from the table before leaning back against the counter.

"Mornin'." He replied. Daryl was going to say more but Jenner asked that everyone follow him back into the main room with the monitors.

Setting her cup down, Charlie followed Jacqui out of the room, Daryl quickly taking one last sip and following the rest of the group. They all walked into the main room as Jenner commanded the computer to bring up images of what he called TS-19 or Test Subject 19.

"Very few people ever got to see this." Jenner spoke as images began popping up on the screens around them. Daryl stood by Charlie near the back of the room. He looked at her from the side. She had her arms folded across her chest, her hip cocked out to the side and she chewed on her cheek as she watched the show.

The images showed a brain, and as the images scanned in closer, the image changed from that of a brain to something that looked like webbing, deep within the brain. Charlie looked over to Daryl and past him as Shane asked what the lights in the images were.

"It's a persons life. From experiences to memories, it's everything. Those are called synapses. Somewhere in all of that flashing is you. What makes us human and you...you." Jenner explained.

"He don't make sense. Ever." Daryl spoke aloud, obviously confused by the roundabout speak of the doctor.

Jenner heard him and smirked a little, "A synapse are electric pulses in the brain. It's what makes you do things, speak, think. Feel. It's your brain and what it does from birth...to death."

"Death? What is this? A vigil?" Rick asked stepping forward to view the screens more from the perspective of Jenner. He'd been standing back with Lori and Carl.

"Yes, exactly. Or rather the play back of one." Jenner answered honestly.

Charlie unfolded her arms and took a step forward. "Who was this?" She turned to Jenner as she asked.

"Someone who was bitten and infected. Then volunteered to have us record the process." He answered before demanding the computer scan forward to the first event as he called it. The computer complied and the image across the screen changed. The flashes of light began slowing down, blacking out until there wasn't a single flash of bright left.

"What is that?" Glenn asked, his hangover long forgotten.

"It infects the brain. Somewhat like meningitis. It causes the adrenal glands to hemorage which causes vital organs to begin failing once the brain starts to shut down." Jenner described as the image continued to change. "Then death happens. Everything you ever were just vanishes."

All Charlie could think of was of Amy and Jim. She glanced at Andrea and saw her sink her chin to her chest as the realization of what happened to her sister hit her. And she now knew why Jim felt as he did. His body had been failing him, slowly shutting down on him. Charlie sniffled and looked to the floor to hide the tears filling her eyes. She looked to her left and saw Daryl standing nearby, watching her then the screen. She now knew what her father had gone through.

Jenner watched Andrea cry and Lori explained how she'd lost Amy. "I lost somebody too. I know how devastating that is." The computer was then asked to scan to the second event and when it did, the once green and blue webs were now black with a red web just in the middle. The red began flickering and then spreading just as the blue and green had once flickered there.

"Resurrection times vary wildly. I have written reports to support that it happened as quickly as three minutes while the longest is written to have happened in eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute and seven seconds." Jenner pointed to the screen. "It only restarts the brain stem, the basic motor functions of getting up and moving. Now you tell me, are they alive?"

"It's nothing like before. That brain is dark." Rick pointed out.

"That's correct. It's lifeless, dead. The frontal lobes, neocortex, the part that makes us human," Jenner shook his head, "that part doesn't come back. You're a shell of your old self. A ghost in a body that can no longer be controlled. The you part is gone."

As a quick flash of light split the brain and skull in two, Charlie gasped loudly in shock as her hand came to her mouth to cover her open jaw.

"What was that?" She heard Carol ask.

It was Andrea who answered, knowing what it was. "He shot them in the head."

"Yes." Jenner answered. "VI, power down the main screen and work stations." He turned to the group. "It could be a microbial infection, a virus, a parasite, fungal."

"The wrath of God?" Jacqui spoke, her voice trembling. T-Dog wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Jenner just shrugged. He had no idea.

"But you don't know." Charlie spoke up. She felt a terrifying sinking feeling creep over her. It filled her and chilled her skin, giving her goosebumps. Daryl watched her demeanor change from curiosity to sadness and fear mixed together. He was smart but not a genius. Street smart and very observant. He could read people just as well as he could read tracks. He quickly began to worry about Charlie. For the first time he worried about someone other than himself and Merle.

"No." Jenner answered directly to her.

"Someone has to know. Somewhere." Andrea began panicking.

"There are others, right? I mean the CDC just can't be the last resort. What about the World Health Organization? Someone, anyone." Lori mirrored Andrea's panic and concerns.

"There may be some. People like me who have stayed behind. Hopefully." Jenner was at a loss of emotion and words for these survivors. He'd grieved the situation long enough, felt the depths of despair and failure.

"How...how can you not know?" Rick asked.

"It all failed. Communications and transmissions ceased nearly a month ago. I've been in the dark that long." Jenner admitted.

"So it's not just in Georgia. Atlanta is just a hot spot?" Charlie looked around at all of her fellow survivors. They all had her same look. One of fear and worry. One that held one too many unanswered questions. A look that told Rick they had made the wrong decision in coming here.

"Correct." Jenner answered again in all honesty.

"There is nothing left anywhere?" Andrea just couldn't believe it. She wanted a different outcome but Jenner just looked at her like he was only going to be repeating himself if he answered.

Charlie felt her heart rate quicken and her breathing speed up to compensate. She held her head in her hands as she leaned against a monitor.

"One last question Doc." Dale finally spoke up. He'd been unusually quiet since Jenner's story unfolded. "That clock has been ticking down since we got here. What happens when it gets to zero?"

Jenner looked around the room at all of the people he'd let in. The survivors he'd given false hope to. "The basement generators run out of fuel." He answered and began walking out of the main room.

"And then what happens?" Rick asked but his question remained unanswered.

"VI," Shane spoke up. "What happens when the generators run out of fuel?"

"When the power runs out, facility wide decontamination will occur." The computer replied.

With questioning looks and Jenner gone, the group left the main room and disappeared to their rooms. Rick, Glenn, T-Dog and Shane headed for the basement as Daryl and Dale opted to sit in their rooms. Charlie sat on the couch in her room, staring at the wine bottle in her hands. She contemplated opening it, drinking herself stupid until she could just pass out and see what fate had decided for them. Instead, she changed from her sweats she had slept in to her jeans now with a few holes in them and a black tank top. Her fit slipped back into her boots and this time she laced them up tightly. Something told her to be ready, to have her bag packed. She learned many years ago that her gut was usually right. She'd left her door open and saw Daryl had done the same. She thought about what he may have been doing and how he was taking the news that life outside of this building would never be the same. That this disease that turned people into the walking dead was incurable. That this global outbreak was the end of the world.

She missed her dad, she missed her life before all of this. She missed the feeling of someone she cared for having their arms wrapped around her, keeping her safe. She missed a lot of things. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Charlie stared out her door and across the hall into Daryl's room. She'd always wondered what it would have been like to feel his arms wrapped around her and last night she nearly had that opportunity had he opened his door. She was always a determined woman and now, this was no different. They were far more alike than she knew he thought. He just needed to know that. If she had a bottle opener, she'd have opened that bottle of wine now lying on the couch. Instead she shook her head and sighed.

"Fuck it." And she was stepping out her door as a woman on a mission. She stepped right into Daryl's room and caught his attention as he drank another bottle of whiskey.

Daryl turned into her and she planted a hard kiss on his lips. He tried to pull away and Charlie grabbed onto his shirt and held him close. She slipped her tongue quickly into his mouth, deepening their kiss and tasting the whiskey on his breath. Once she tasted him, he pushed back at her a little with his free hand and Charlie broke the kiss. Daryl stared at her a quick moment, taking her in. In his shock, he saw just how raw she looked. Her freckles that he hadn't seen before, how clean and fresh her hair looked naturally dried. The way her clothes still managed to cling to her although he was sure they'd all lost weight since this started. Then reality kicked back in.

"What the fuck Charlie?" Daryl was drunk and shocked and aroused all at once. He felt his anger come to the surface before his emotions of enjoyment and Charlie saw the change happen quickly.

"I'm sorry. I...I just," Charlie ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it from her face, "I just wanted to know what that felt like."

Before Daryl could say anything, he and Charlie were both distracted by the noise of the air quitting and the lights flickering.

"No." Charlie whispered. Her eyes grew large as she looked to the man before her, his expression matching hers. Footsteps were heard down the hall and Daryl poked his head out, Charlie standing just behind him.

"Hey, what's goin' on? Why's everythin' turnin' off?" Daryl asked. Jenner walked by and snatched the bottle from Daryl's grasp, taking a long pull from the neck.

"Energy use is being prioritized." Jenner answered. He was dressed up, wearing his lab coat and slacks, dress shoes, a dress shirt and tie.

"Wait, air and lights aren't..." Charlie didn't understand what in the hell was going on and it seemed no one but Jenner did.

"It's not up to me. Zone 5 is shutting itself down." Jenner said sternly and kept walking back towards the main room of the area they'd been in earlier.

"Hey..." Daryl called out, he looked back to make sure Charlie was behind him. He was confused from their kiss, but wasn't about to leave her behind if there were answers needed. "I'm talkin' to you. What the hells that mean?"

Everyone was following Jenner by now back to the monitors and computer stations. Daryl was still trying to get answers from Jenner but the man just balked at his attempts. Charlie stood close to Jacqui and Andrea as Dale walked behind them. Carol, the kids and Lori were just behind him. As they all entered the main room, Rick, T, Shane and Glenn were all jogging in. VI had been talking though Zone 5 the entire time, describing shut downs and changes to the power.

"Jenner, we need answers and now." Rick grumbled at him.

"The system is dropping all unnecessary uses of power. It's designed to keep the computers and sample fridges running until the last possible second. It's set to start as we approach the half hour mark." Jenner pointed to the clock that had been counting down. There was no need to say it, it was obvious. The building system was right on schedule. Jenner handed the bottle back to Daryl after a final pull and the redneck swiped it from him, sloshing some of the amber liquid from the bottle to the floor. Jenner turned to Andrea and Charlie. "It was the French."

"What?" Charlie asked.

"They were the last ones to hold out as far as I know." He clarified. "While our people were bolting out the door and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in their labs until the very end of communications. They were the only ones who thought they were close to a solution, a whereabouts, a cure."

"But wait, what happened?" Charlie pressed. She sensed Jenner wasn't divulging everything.

He shrugged. "The same thing that is happening here. No power. The world runs on fossil fuels, how ridiculous." Jenner turned to sit at a work station but Shane was quick to fly up the short steps snarling words and threats as Rick tried to hold him back.

Charlie stood there, frozen, practically drowning out the argument as things began crumbling in her mind. This was the end. Her gut had been right. The CDC was a lost hope. She barely registered Rick's orders to gather their things to leave. But as they ran for the door, a loud buzzing alarm sounded and Jenner scanned his card, causing the heavy door to close from the ground up, locking them in. From there panic came and never left. Shouting and demands and loud banging on the metal door filled the room.

Daryl looked to Charlie and had never seen such fear in her. This was different than what he'd seen before. Different than that night at camp, that night at the bar. She was visibly shaking, her eyes watering and her skin paling. He felt the fear himself and lunged for Jenner screaming at him. Shane barely was able to hold him back as T grabbed a hold too.

"Jenner, open it, now." Rick demanded.

"I can't. I told you, once those topside doors were sealed there would be no opening them again. There is no point. It's all locked down and sealed. The computers are in control now. I have no say." Jenner replied.

"You have a key card." Charlie cried. She wasn't ashamed to show her tears. "I just saw you swipe that card to close that door. You can reverse it. Don't give that bullshit."

"It's better this way, I promise you. In twenty-eight minutes, it'll all be over." Jenner shrugged and looked at his computer station.

"What happens in twenty-eight minutes?" Charlie asked. She asked it so softly that she thought maybe Jenner didn't hear and when Rick and Shane started shouting for an answer, Jenner stood and matched their yelling with a ferosity of his own.

"Do you know what this place is? What we did here?" Jenner yelled. His words were harsh and booming, causing people to step back. "We protected the public, you, from very nasty stuff. Weaponized small pox, ebola strains that could wipe out half the country. Stuff you don't ever want getting out, ever!" He was now screaming in Rick's face.

Daryl protectively stood near Charlie as he watched her flinch under Jenner's wrath. He could practically feel her shaking beside him.

"In the event of a catastrophic power failure, in a terrorist attack for example, HITs are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out." Jenner answered more calmly. Rick looked at him like he didn't understand. "VI, define HIT."

"HIT, high impulse thermobaric fuel air explosives consist of a two stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The vacuum pressure effect ignites the oxygen at between five thousand and six thousand degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired."

"It simply sets the air on fire." Jenner whispered.

Charlie felt the air from her lungs rush out in one hot breath. The room started spinning as she realized what that meant. She bent her chin to her chest and haunched her back as her palms hit her knees. "Holy shit." She gasped as Daryl flew past her and up the ramp to the door along with Rick and Glenn.

He flung the whiskey bottle and it shattered to the ground. "Open the God damned door."

"Outta my way!" Shane yelled as he ran at the door, axe in hand as another was tossed to Daryl.

Dale stood with Charlie and Andrea. Andrea sunk to the floor at Charlie's feet and backed herself against a computer station. Dale was rubbing Charlie's back as she tried to get her breathing regulated from her panic attack. The commotion wasn't helping and the fear that she was about to die continued her panic attack.

The two men began attacking the door with the blades but it was no use, there wasn't a dent to be made. Jenner was doing his best to convince everyone that this was the only way. That this was better.

Shane came back from his battle with the door and shook his head to Rick, not being able to make a dent. Daryl was quick to follow.

"Those doors are meant to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner pointed out

"Well your fucking head ain't." Daryl lunged to swing a Jenner. Rick and Dale grabbed at him, shouting his name and Charlie quickly stood straight to help. It took her, T, Rick and Dale to get him to back up. The axe dropped to the floor with a thud and clank. Charlie reached out for him, seeking a comfort she figured she could only get from him but he backed away and glared at Jenner.

"You do want this. Rick, you said last night that it was just a matter of time before everyone you knew and loved was dead." The doctor pointed out. Lori just stared wide eyed at her husband.

"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" Rick defended his words and actions.

"There is no hope. There never was." Jenner argued.

"There is always hope." Charlie shook her head and cried.

"Maybe it ain't here, but someone somewhere..." Rick argued.

"What part of everything is gone do you know get?" Andrea spoke from the floor. Her voice was so calm and stern that it frightened Charlie. It was as if she was accepting their fate and had come to terms with dying so quickly.

"This is our extinction event. The dinosaurs had one, then came the ice age. This is ours." Jenner rationalized the actions taking place.

Charlie had heard enough. With her breathing under control, she walked away from the group and to the door. The hushed voices and cries of everyone talking were drowned out with her own tears and thoughts. Daryl watched her walk passed him as Jenner mentioned drying with loved ones. He had none and now he knew what she meant. He scoffed at the doctor. At least he'd go down with someone he knew.

The cocking of a gun turned Charlie and Daryl back to the situation at hand. Rick was shoving Shane back as he threatened Jenner. It happened quickly. Shane lost his shit and fired the shotgun several times until Rick was able to over power him and silence the firing. Charlie remained by the door as she watched Daryl pace. He looked back to her and nodded at her. She didn't know what he wanted but she walked down the ramp and stood by him.

"I did it for her." She heard Jenner say. "My wife."

"19 was your wife?" Charlie questioned.

"Before she died, she begged me and I kept my promise to keep going as long as I could, even if I had to do it all on my own." Charlie didn't wait to hear the rest, she grabbed the axe that had been discarded as Daryl did the same, the two of them now working together to try selfishly at cracking the door.

"This is no use." Charlie started crying again as she dropped the axe as Daryl continued. Suddenly, the door opened.

"Go. Get your shit and go." Daryl shoved at her to move down the hall. "Come on!" He yelled to everyone else. Let's go!"

Daryl watched as Charlie rounded the hall corner and was out of sight. Everyone began escaping the main room and headed to gather their things. Daryl was on of the last down the hall with the group.

In her room, Charlie easily grabbed her bag. She knew her feeling to gather her things was spot on. She grabbed her bag and Daryl's as everyone bolted down the hall. Together, the group all climbed the dozens of stairs, blackened by the power outage. As one unit they entered the main lobby to the CDC. It was bright as day shone through the glass. The doors were locked and the group frantically tried to open them.

Shane called for the spare axe that Daryl held and he tossed it to him as they, together, tried to break the glass just as they did the door. It was of no use. It was bullet proof and the clock was ticking away. Charlie watched as the realization again came that they were trapped. Jenner told them they couldn't get out and he was right.

"Where's Dale? Andrea? Jacqui?" Charlie noticed they weren't around to leave with them. She looked at Lori and she shook her head. Charlie felt her heart break. Jacqui was her friend and Andrea and her were close.

"Get down!" Shane screamed and he fired the shot gun again. It did nothing but halted the bullet leaving the glass intact.

"Rick, I have something might help. I twas in your laundry that first day at camp." Carol reached in her purse and pulled a grenade from it's contents.

That was it, their ticket out. Rick snatched the weapon from her and pulled the pin. Daryl grabbed Charlie and pulled her to the ground with him. "Stay down." He whispered to her. Charlie covered her ears and the back of her neck with her forearms. Daryl watched as Rick pulled the pin and he too covered himself, but used his body over Charlie's.

The explosion was loud and deafening. But it did the trick and the glass broke, opening a pane of glass. Everyone was on their feet and emerging through the window. Daryl was pulling Charlie by the arm as he carried his bow now and his bag, Charlie responsible for her own. It was a run to the car as walkers approached the building. One by one anyone and everyone took one out as they could. The Grimes family, Glenn and Shane fell into the RV as Carol and Sophia headed for their wagon. Daryl and Charlie ran for the truck with T making it to his van.

"What the hell?" Daryl yelled as he waited for Rick to pull away. Charlie watched the building, curiously waiting to see the building collapse.

"Oh my God, look." Charlie stared as Andrea and Dale emerged from the building, but no Jacqui. Behind Dale and Andrea, as they ran for the vehicles, the building began igniting.

GET DOWN!" Daryl grabbed Charlie and pulled her down against the bench seat, once again, his body covering hers. The truck shook violently and the heat from the blast could be felt from inside the truck as the loudest crash could be heard. When the shaking stopped, Daryl removed himself from Charlie's body and she sat up carefully, slowly. She looked out of the windshield, then back to him as their expressions matched. They had never seen anything like it. Their jaws were slack and eyes wide. They were still trying to catch their breaths from their adrenaline high and running for the vehicles. Daryl looked back at Shane and saw he was okay.

"Daryl..." Charlie whispered. "They made it." She pointed out as she saw Dale and Andrea run for the RV. Glenn was seen slamming the door shut and quickly as walkers came down on the building, Rick pulled away followed by the Peltier wagon, T's van, the truck and Shane's jeep. The same order as they'd arrived.

Charlie turned in her spot and watched as the building still burned behind her. She stared out the back window of Daryl's truck until she could no longer see the bellowing flames that ignited what hopes and dreams she thought they'd have there and her friend. "Goodbye Jacqui." Charlie whispered and turned back to the windshield, no words spoken to her driver.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, kudos and reposts! It means a lot. I've lacked in inspiration lately and my motivation to update has been absent. Hopefully this is enjoyed. I only own Charlie. - Z

Silence still filled the truck cabin. It had been nearly an hour, if that, since they lost Jacqui, since Jenner took down what was left of hope with him. Daryl and Charlie rode in complete silence. Her mind racing of everything that had transpired over the last 24 hours and his just numb to it all. Charlie stared out the windshield or out her window but her eyes barely met his form as he drove, straight faced behind the group.

It was a loud honk from behind them that startled them both. Charlie quickly turned to look behind her and saw that Shane was slowing down. He had given the signal he was in trouble. Daryl stopped the truck in front of Shane's jeep as it barely rolled to a stop. The rest of the convoy was just a few hundred feet ahead.

"Stay here." Daryl commented as he grabbed his bow and exited the truck.

Charlie looked around at their surroundings. "No problem." She answered to no one, taking in the eery look and feel of the abandoned street they'd stopped at. Just within view there was a gas station with a service garage and shanty like houses. Charlie realized that this must not have been one of the nicer neighborhoods along the outskirts of the city. She kept her eyes open, scanning as she looked for walkers or other dangers.

"What's the problem?" Daryl asked Shane as he approached.

"I don't know man. Maybe out of gas, maybe something else. Whatever it is, it's overheating and the gauge dropped to E." Shane spoke of the jeep as he opened the hood. Daryl kept watch as Shane examined the engine compartment.

"There's a station just up on the corner." Daryl pointed out.

"Yeah. Might be somethin' we can use. I'll see if Rick's got any water to spare from the rig, if not, we'll dump it." Shane thought out loud. Daryl nodded. "Get back to the truck, keep an eye out. Don't leave Charlie too long. None of these women need to be left alone right now. We're all scared and rattled."

Daryl thought maybe Shane's words were more for himself about Lori than anything. It was no secret that they'd been screwing each other until Rick had shown up well and alive to camp by pure luck. "Right." Daryl nodded and walked away from Shane.

Rick was exiting the RV and coming his way but Daryl shook his head with a shrug as he walked back to the truck. He stepped back inside the truck and turned to Charlie. She looked scared, her eyes big and green, still wide from earlier. Smoke smudges and dirt littered her face, her bruised face barely noticeable. Her hair was matted and disheveled, a different image of the fresh and clean face that had kissed him back at the CDC.

"Jeep's overheatin' and Shane ain't sure what the problem is." He spoke to her, knocking his admiring thoughts back to the back of his brain. Charlie nodded slowly. And turned her attentions back to scanning the area with her eyes. "We're gonna be okay." Daryl tried to assure her.

Again, Charlie nodded slowly, not paying him direct attention. As she stared through the windshield, she sighed. "Thank you." It was soft, barely audible.

"Ain't gotta thank me. I told you I'd take of ya." Daryl replied. The words sounded so assuring, so foreign.

Finally she looked to him. Her eyes seemed sad now and less afraid. "I'm sorry for...ya know. I just...well, I ...I don't regret it. That's all."

"Ain't gotta apologize. I get it." Daryl brought his thumb to his lip and nibbled. "I didn't mean to yell at ya. It just..."

"Yeah, took ya by surprise. I get it." Charlie mirrored Daryl's words and the they both had to take a moment to chuckle at the somewhat awkward situation they now found they were in.

Charlie was telling the truth, she wanted to know what it was like to kiss him and without lying to himself, Daryl had wanted to touch her for as long as he could think to remember, but he'd never admit it publicly. Not even to her. He was just angry that it happened when it did and why it did. Merle had been right about one thing, he was a pussy who wouldn't be able to make the first move. To be honest with himself, women made Daryl nervous. He had always been afraid of letting them down, of not being good enough. Every women he'd known or liked had been better than he was, deserved better. He hadn't bedded down with anyone for sometime and that was the reason why. He felt he wasn't good enough.

Daryl was going to speak, but before he could, Rick appeared in the window frame of the door. "We're losin' the light. We're gonna leave the jeep and scout out the gas station up on the corner. Shane and I will go ahead. Stay in the truck and keep an eye on the vehicles. Let us know if we're running into trouble."

"Alright." Daryl nodded. He and Charlie watched as Shane and Rick walked away from the rest of the vehicles and up the road to the station at the end of the street. They had stopped to explain what was happening to T and Carol in their respective vehicles. T exited his van and with Carol's help, began loading up the station wagon.

"Looks like the van is stayin' too." Charlie pointed out.

"Probably best. The less the better. More fuel to go around." Daryl observed. "If I gotta, I'll ditch the truck too. I got Merle's bike. You'd be safe in the RV."

Charlie nodded. She wasn't going to protest the ride if it came down to it. She knew she wasn't exactly comfortable on Merle's bike and it was obvious that Daryl didn't want the company. She took it for what it was.

Minutes had passed and as Shane and Rick were still inside the gas station, Charlie noticed a shift in the atmosphere. Then, she saw it. Coming straight down the street, just on the driveway of the gas station, a small group, no bigger than the size that had attacked camp was slowly stepping through.

"Daryl." Charlie caught his attention as she stared directly at the group.

"Shit." He quickly fired up the truck and sped passed the RV, van and wagon to the gas station.

He laid on his horn and started screaming and yelling for Rick and Shane to hurry and get out. Charlie loaded her gun with a shake in her hands as she readied to take some walkers down but soon, Daryl's noise had attracted those starting in on the gas station. Rick was the first out and headed strait into the RV. The raucous that Daryl was making made a slight opening for escape. The engine of the rig starting could be heard just above Daryl's voice and as Charlie turned back to look, a walker had slammed itself against the glass of her window. She screamed loudly and Daryl backed away just a few yards from his first position. The walkers began following the truck, giving Shane his exit route. Quickly the RV pulled up and the door swung open allowing Shane to literally fall inside. Glenn could be seen slamming it shut as Rick pulled away, followed by Carol's wagon.

"Go! Go! Go!" Charlie shouted as Daryl shifted back into drive and peeled out of the gas station driveway. "Holy shit." She spoke breathlessly as her adrenaline again pumped for the umpteenth time that day.

Daryl didn't say a word as they sped behind the now much smaller caravan. Twenty minutes of driving in mere circles and around blockades, Daryl realized where they were headed. "Not a bad plan, Sheriff." He spoke finally.

"What? Where are we?" Charlie asked. She'd been to many places in Atlanta, but they were usually biker hang outs on weekend getaways with the occasional boyfriend.

"The Vatos." Daryl answered.

"Why would we go there?" Charlie asked. "They took Glenn hostage, held y'all at gun point."

"Yeah," Daryl scoffed, "But they owe us. We need a place to stay and they have it."

The caravan pulled down an alley that looked clear alongside the building that Daryl had explained to Charlie was where the Vatos were camping and using the adjoining senior home for additional shelter. "Leave everything in the truck. Take only what you'll need for the night."

Charlie nodded and grabbed her pistol and a jacket that she'd wrapped around her waist. Hurriedly, she jogged the length of the caravan with Daryl to meet with the group. She caught the last bit of Andrea's question as she stood beside Dale, Daryl taking point with Rick and Shane.

"What makes you think they'll take in strangers?" Andrea asked.

"With all the guns we gave 'em, they'll probably throw us a party." Daryl looked to Rick and took first point, "Good call, for once."

The ones who'd been there before led the group through the abandoned brick building and into an empty courtyard before going through the service garage and out back to the grassy yard between the garage and the senior home.

"Where is everybody?" Glenn asked concerned. Daryl made sure he had a bolt loaded as he scanned for the very same people Glenn was speaking of. Rounding the final corner before the home, they found the answer they'd been seeking.

"Oh son of a bitch." Shane grumbled.

"Oh no." Glenn added.

"Kids, don't look." Charlie, who'd followed Glenn, turned to Lori and Carol. The mothers covered the eyes of their children and turned their backs to the carnage.

There was a group of walkers, silently feeding on downed men. The kills looked fresh, nearly too fresh. Charlie felt her stomach go week at the sight of all the blood and gore. She didn't understand and didn't want to understand why the walkers had to feed on people, on anything in sight. She didn't hear Rick's call to arms then suddenly the sound of gunfire surrounded her. She held her hands over her ears and crouched for cover. Walkers were coming at them as the men of the group began taking out one walker after another. Knowing the sound would attract more, Rick ushered the group into the senior building, with a few walkers chasing them down.

Once inside, what remained of the Atlanta Survivors found more bodies, more sadness. The children whimpered and Rick tried to quiet them down but it was no use and Sophia's cries grew louder. Daryl was quick to lash out, "Put a sock in it!"

"Daryl!" Charlie scolded in a harsh whisper.

"Leave her alone." Carol protected her daughter.

"Either shut her up or I will." Daryl's rage at their current situation came forward and he found himself threatening the little girl like his own father would threaten himself.

"Back the hell off." Charlie pointed harshly at him. "I mean now." She knew everyone was on high alert and the children needed to remain calm and quiet, but they were scared and it was hard to do so. Daryl Dixon didn't need to go and make things worse.

It didn't take long, mere seconds, to realize that they were backed into a corner. There were dead bodies all around them and it wasn't safe. The smell of rotting flesh was overwhelming. Charlie noticed that they were running out of time, daylight more importantly and options.

"Are we staying or going?" Lori asked Rick.

"We're out of fuel, food." Rick pointed out.

"And daylight." Charlie added.

"We gotta hunker down for the night. Get moving at dawn." Shane ordered taking the reins from Rick. "We gotta sweep the building. You make sure it's closed off down here." He looked to Charlie and she nodded. "Rick, Daryl, on me for a sweep."

"The rest, barricade the doors." Rick instructed and the group separated. Daryl, Rick and Shane left to clear the building as the rest remained to find whatever they could to block the doors and resecure windows.

Charlie looked around for something to use and she spotted a hospital bed in the corner of the room adjacent to the hall they were in. "There!" She pointed out. She, T-Dog and Glenn pushed the heavy object towards the hall and pushed it all the way to the door. The kids sat on the floor off to the side, holding hands. Once the bed was in place, Dale and T looked for other things. Charlie took it upon herself to check on the children.

"You two alright?" She asked. Sophia seemed visibly upset still but Carl tried his best to comfort her. He hushed her and whispered while nodding to Charlie. She gave them a sad smirk and stood to help with blocking the windows when the entire group ducked down. A walker was passing by the open window gap and they all huddled under the filing cabinet Glenn had overturned. Charlie had hit the deck and laid flat on her belly, remaining as still as possible until the former human had passed. It sensed them inside but found it wouldn't get it's next meal so soon.

Once it was clear, what remained from the sweep group left the entrance hall and headed in search of Rick and the others. They reconvened in the multipurpose room to discuss their overnight options. Rick pointed out that the safest place was upstairs, where some offices were. If things got tight, they'd be able to block those rooms off and be safe for at least the night as a better plan was arranged.

"What the hell happened here?" Glenn asked shaking his head. The multi room had it's own share of bodies that were strewn about as they discussed their plans.

"Isn't it obvious?" Andrea spoke up. "They got over run." Daryl was quick to scoff at her assumption and Andrea was quick to shoot him down and defend herself. "Something to say?"

"Yeah." Daryl nodded. "How about observant."

"Daryl..." Charlie warned. This wasn't the time for a fight and she didn't even know what she was doing in trying to talk him down. She had no control over him but at least she might be able to trap his words briefly.

"Big word from a guy like you. Three whole syllables." Andrea bit back.

"Guy like me?" Daryl was lit. Andrea had pressed too far assuming he was some stupid, ignorant poor son of a bitch. "Walkers didn't do this. The geeks didn't show up until all this went down. Somebody attacked this place. Killed all these people, took whatever they wanted. Look... each and everyone of 'em, all shot in the head, execution style." He pointed to the few bodies around the room. Rick bent down to really examine the body at his feet. The rest of the group just watched Daryl as he continued to point out the obvious. His tone was a bit softer, smarter sounding, words more pronounced. "Y'all are worried about walkers. I would be much more worried about the people who came in and did all this."

"Who would do such a thing?" Carol whimpered. "We're not safe." She was pointing her eyes to Rick. It was clear she wasn't one to trust him at the moment.

Daryl turned back to Andrea. "Get a dictionary. Look it up." He glared at her just before stepping away. "Observant."

The former civil rights attorney was then put in her place. The room was silent as the youngest Dixon left the room, presumably to find a quiet place to cool off for a moment. Charlie sighed. "I think everyone needs to calm down and give a little more credit where it's due right now. We didn't know what was going to happen here, at the CDC, hell; even in camp. The truth is, nowhere is safe." Charlie turned to Andrea, "Just because you wanted to die back there, doesn't mean we all have to suffer for you changing your mind."

And Charlie left the room. She needed to find her own space, maybe set Daryl straight on a thing or two. Everyone was on high alert, adrenaline still rushing from the events of the CDC and emotional overloads from the turn of events over the last few days. The group needed something more permanent but it wasn't to be found here in this nursing home or what remained of one. If Fort Benning was still their destination, then so be it. But until they managed to complete the nearly hundred plus mile journey, Charlie knew that the group, including herself needed to trust those that were taking charge and making decisions to help keep everyone alive and safe.

Charlie found Daryl in an emptied room. It had appeared to be one that was cleared earlier in the initial sweep. "Hey." She spoke quietly, knocking on the door frame. Daryl was sitting under the window, staring blankly at his bow as he cleaned one particular bolt. His eyes flickered up at her and then back to his bolt.

"What?" He asked.

"I shouldn't be apologizing for anyone, especially you but..."

"She's a dumb bitch." Daryl snorted. "I don't need you sayin' sorry for me."

"I know you don't. But you also need to realize that these are kids and people who are in a very scary situation. We all are. I'm terrified, I'm sad, I'm nervous." Charlie stepped into the room but leaned against the wall by the door frame. "Everything' is spiralin' out of control and fast. Every corner we turn, we're ten steps back from where we came. No where is safe and I get that you're helping and doin' your best but back off a little. Especially with the kids."

Daryl stared at her. He finally gave a single nod in understanding. He had no right to snap earlier like he did at Sophia and he felt bad for it, somewhat. "These people don't know me. Know us, where we came from."

Charlie knew he was referring to Andrea. She nodded. "You're right, they don't. But you haven't given them any reason to think that you're not just some dumb redneck. Remember who put you in this position. You have the chance to prove their mindset wrong. Flying off the handle every time someone challenges you isn't the way to do it. We all need to stick together, more so now than ever. You need this group just as much as I need it and need you. I was wrong to think we'd be better off alone and so were you. You've seen the way this is all happening. Stop being Merle and be Daryl. You're better than that. And I'm tired of these heart to hearts. They don't get anywhere with you."

Again Charlie had him speechless at her words. For someone who went to the same schools and grew up in the same trailer park he did, she was a better person, smarter. They stared at one another for a moment as Charlie's words sunk in. She was right and he knew it. The group was heard coming up the stairs and Charlie knew she needed to cut the conversation here. She'd said everything she'd wanted to anyway. Daryl, as she'd come to know, grew quiet when she seemingly put him in his place.

"If you can, apologize to Sophia, or be a little nicer." The blonde from his local bar turned on her booted heel and stalked into the room across the hall with the rest of the group. Shane was coming in just behind her, Daryl too.

"They ransacked the kitchen. All that was left is a can of garbanzo beans." Shane handed the can to Daryl to open it.

Rick nodded at Shane's discovery. "They hit the dispensary too, tore the door off it's hinges. Left nothing but a travel pack of Tylenol."

Lori took the small foil package from her husband, looked at the label and tossed it into the medical bag she brought in from the RV.

"So we came back for a couple of aspirin and garbanzo beans." Daryl scoffed. His frustrations were logical this time as when the group obviously set out for help from the Vatos, they hadn't expected the end result.

"Is there any water?" Sophia asked.

"We've got on bottle. Stuffed it in my bag from the CDC." Charlie took the small clear bottle from her bag and handed it to Sophia. "Go slow, sweetie. It's all we got."

"Just a few sips, alright, then pass it over." Shane directed. "We gotta make it last. That goes for everyone."

Daryl got the can open and handed it off to Glenn so he could dispense it rationally. Shane sat back down at his bag he'd brought in and chuckled. He dug out a few bags of snacks before tossing them to a few people. "I expected to be sitting in my room at the CDC with these for a little midnight snack. I didn't know they'd be dinner."

Charlie caught the last bag of chips as she took a seat next to Daryl who was already man handling his beans and stuffing his hungry mouth with them. She opened the bag and passed it off to him after a few nibbles. Shane pulled a bottle of wine from the bag and sighed. "Last item."

The thought of booze made Daryl's ears perk up like a cat finding catnip. "That to share?"

"Seeing as I owe you my life," Shane passed the bottle to the hunter, "Uh, I'm a.. gonna be nice to you from now on."

"Wow, that was painful wasn't it." Charlie joked and a couple of people laughed. Mostly just the kids.

Daryl took the bottle and smirked at Charlie. "I do think I earned the first swallow." He looked back to Shane and nodded.

"Guys need to go easy on that stuff." Charlie commented. She was all for the smooth taste of the wine calming her nerves, but there was no need to chug a bottle between the adults and get a buzz. "Let's not forget where we are."

Daryl side glanced at the woman beside him. "Yes m'am."

Charlie rolled her eyes in response and went about eating her beans and chips. Dale shared a plate with Andrea. She still seemed to be irritated about life in general. Everyone knew she wanted to die at the CDC but Dale had somehow talked her down from that ledge and she was bitter for it. Going back to her food, Charlie noticed that Daryl hadn't touched his chips. She grabbed the bag from his lap before he could protest, "Hey, Carl." The boy looked up from his plate of cold gritty beans. "Catch." Charlie tossed the bag to him and he smiled. "Share 'em with Sophia." Charlie heard Daryl quietly grumble beside her. She shot him a pointed look with a smile. The redneck hunter nodded to the boy in acceptance of Charlie's offering and went back to his beans.

"What's our next move? We need to decide." Lori asked Rick as they tried to eat what meager rations were provided. Rick looked to Shane and Shane nodded to him.

"Fort Benning." Rick replied. "I should have listened to you Shane. It would have saved a lot of trouble. People would still be alive, Jacqui would still be alive."

"It was her choice, brother. Do not take that on." Shane replied.

"He's right. It was her choice to make. No yours, not anymore than it was with Jim." Lori comforted her husband's doubt and grief.

"All these people, who would have done something like this? Just come in and murdered all these nice old people, the Vatos." Glenn expressed concerns.

The feeling got quiet, eery and one could feel a heightened sense of fear just from the Korean's words. Daryl looked to Charlie and noticed her discomfort at the thought of those who'd murdered the people before them coming back.

"We should all try and get some sleep." Shane suggested as he stood and collected the trash from those finished eating. Charlie scoffed and shook her head, knowing that was impossible. Shane nodded at Daryl and he took the subtle hint and joined the men in the hall.

As they chatted beyond the ears of the women and children, Charlie looked to Sophia and Carol who were trying to huddle together and get situated for a fitful night's rest no doubt. "I'm sorry he yelled at you. You know that right? He's not gonna hurt you. He just, you know when a dog is scared and they feel backed in to a corner?" Carol looked to her daughter, knowing Charlie was trying to get her to see why Daryl snapped at her earlier. Sophia nodded. Charlie smirked a little, "It's sorta like that. I don't think he'd ever hurt you. We're all just scared."

"So you speak for him too?" Andrea snorted from her spot on the floor.

Charlie glared. "Don't make me regret being friends with you. I don't speak for him, I don't speak for anyone here. I'm just a dumb bartender, right? Look, if you knew what life was life back home, as kids, you'd think differently." Charlie folded her arms over her knees and rested her chin on her wrists. "It's not my place to share what little I do know about him and I'm not making excuses. If any of what I tried to explain to him earlier stuck, he's gonna be different. It's just gonna take some time. We're all scared. We're all confused and we're all grieving in one way or another. These guys are doing what they can to make us safe." Charlie's comments were met with stone silence. She looked to Andrea again, "I may be just a dumb bartender from a podunk town near the mountains of Georgia. But trust me when I say that I am smarter than I look. He's smarter than he looks and if you even thought for a minute about how we grew up, took it into consideration, you'd see that 'people like us' do know a thing or two about life."

Andrea had no time to make a word in her defense as the men, all but T-Dog returned. Shane announced that T was on watch first and that he'd relieve him in an hour. Daryl would follow, Rick then Glenn and Dale would take last watch. Each shift would be an hour and everyone else needed to rest as best as they could. Most hunkered down where they stood or sat for dinner, adjusting to the cold hard floor as best they could. Daryl sat with his back against the wall, his head leaned against it. Charlie did her best to mimic his position and rest but it was no use. She couldn't get comfortable enough to even close her eyes. When she did, she found flashes of the last few days danced through her mind painfully.

"Sit still." Daryl whispered gruffly.

"Sorry." Charlie whispered back, her eyes wide open in the dark. Charlie brought in nothing but her gun and her flannel, Daryl the same. Just his bow and gun. Charlie heard him shuffle beside her and it startled her when she felt his hand wrap around her arm and pull her down to his lap. She had to suppress an unfamiliar sound at the action. But her head quickly hit his leg, not just his leg but his thigh. It was a silent offer to use him as a pillow and she gladly accepted. It was better than the wall or a shoulder. There was no need for a blanket as the sweltering heat from the day still permeated the building. Her flannel would be enough. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Mmmhmm." Daryl grunted and tried to get back to whatever it was called that he was attempting to accomplish. Rest, sleep, neither one of those words worked as he was uncomfortable and while he was used to discomfort in these situations, having Charlie using his lap as a pillow made it more difficult to recharge. It took a strength he didn't know he had to resist the feral urges to reach out and touch her. Rest his hand on her hip or run a hand through her hair. Daryl didn't like the inhibitions that this unprotected world weighed on him but he didn't know if he wanted to control them anymore. When he finally felt her breath even out, he found himself relaxing enough to shut his mind down and sleep himself.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate it! It keeps me motivated to update! This one took a bit... I was ill and just plain exhausted for the last couple of weeks! Anyway, I thank you kindly for the reviews and kudos! Enjoy the chapter! - Z

With dawn came the rush to leave. Staying in Atlanta wasn't safe. If anyone was honest with one another and even themselves, no where was safe. With their numbers dwindled to eleven, the group needed to keep going. The destination now was Fort Benning. It was still nearly one hundred miles south of Atlanta and fuel, supplies were low. Gas was siphoned from Daryl's truck and back where they'd left the van and jeep.

"You go everything?" Daryl asked as he rounded to the cab of the truck. He hated leaving it behind but there was no choice. He had Merle's bike and he'd sure as hall die before ditching that.

Charlie nodded. "Yeah." She didn't have much to begin with but what little she now carried, fit all in one back pack. Her flannel fit snug around her waist, a white tank top that was now smudged with dirt and blood clung to her skin. The weather was warming up already and it was just the start of the day. Her jeans were tucked snuggly into her boots, a few cuts and holes across her thighs were worn in. She squinted at Daryl and momentarily took him in. His bow was strapped across his chest, bag of his belongings in his hand. He looked tired, filthy but his eyes still were bright, maybe even hopeful. "Do you trust him?" She asked.

Daryl took a moment to think, looking past the blonde before him and then brought his eyes to hers. "Yeah." He answered firmly. "Sure as shit don't trust the other one."

Charlie knew he was talking about Shane. Since Rick had show up alive, Shane just seemed to challenge his best friend's authority. Posturing when it came to things that involved Lori and Carl. "Me either. You got what ya need for the ride?"

"Yep. What don't fit the saddles I got in the bag. Gonna toss it in the RV." Daryl replied. "You riding in there?"

"Um, I think so. Rick's gonna drive Carol's car, the rest are loadin' up with Dale." Charlie didn't want to ride with anyone but Daryl. Yet he hadn't offered a seat behind him on the bike and she wasn't going to imply anything. "Be careful." She reached out and squeezed his arm. She noticed his eyes flicker and his muscles flinch at her touch but he didn't pull away. No one could see the small exchange between them.

Daryl nodded and turned to go, leaving his bag with her and heading for the bike. Dale called for everyone to saddle up so they could head out and Charlie took that moment to head for the RV. She tossed her bags onto the bed and sat in the captains chair next to Dale. Glenn sat on the engine cover beside her. He was the map guy and the group was relying on him to keep them headed south. Daryl took the lead this time, the bike being small enough and fast enough to scout ahead in case there were tight spots the RV couldn't get through or any dangers ahead. Charlie watched him from her perch in the rig. Things were changing progressively for the two of them and it made her relax a little.

The night before in the senior home seemed to turn things for them. In the dark, in secret, he allowed her close, probably the closest he'd ever let anyone judging just by his own human nature. It warmed Charlie's heart to think that maybe just maybe, she didn't have to always be alone anymore. That with Merle gone, Charlie would see Daryl for what she knew he was worth, for the potential she knew he had within him. She knew he was smart, but he'd let his brother drag him down long enough. There were plenty of times that she could remember Daryl voicing an opinion that wasn't so popular with Merle and the older Dixon would shoot him down. Daryl, only then, to change his mind and assume the role of little brother, good for nothing and dumb as Merle. Their circles weren't always the same growing up, but from the times they did hang, Daryl was the one on the opposite side of the bonfire in the sticks, keeping quiet and watching the flames, occasionally sipping on whatever was available, cigarette hanging from his mouth. If Charlie didn't admit it back then, she would now, it was always a little hot for her to see him that way. In her mind, a modern James Dean. Boyfriend or no boyfriend, Charlie had a soft spot for Daryl at all points in life.

"How long did you say you two knew each other?" Dale asked Charlie, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Um... I guess since we were kids. We never really always hung out. Just had mutual friends that did. I'd see him at bonfires or parties. Growing up in a trailer park and at your daddy's bar didn't always have the most eventful social life." Charlie dryly chuckled.

"That's right, you'd mentioned you were a bartender." Dale nodded, remembering the small fact.

"Daryl had friends." Glenn seemed to make a small joke of Charlie's story. Charlie laughed a little with a small nod Dale's concerns over the view from the windshield distracted them.

"Oh no." Charlie grimaced as she returned her stare to the windshield. "We can't get through that!"

"Shit." Glenn added. Shane had stepped forward from the dinet along with T-Dog while Andrea looked on from her seat at the table. "I'll look for another way but it won't be much and we'll have to back track."

Daryl pulled up to driver's window of the RV and told Dale he would drive up a bit and see if there was a way through. Dale slowly proceeded forward behind the man on the bike.

"There's an interstate by pass back a few miles." Glenn realized.

"We can't spare the fuel to turn around." Dale shook his head.

"What if we took what we could from here?" Charlie asked. Shane shook his head, shooting down the idea.

"Best to try and go through." He told her.

Charlie sighed in defeat and looked out the window. It was like driving through a car graveyard. The traffic snarl was a combination of overturned cars and dried out decaying bodies. These people never had a chance. Doors were opened and limbs hung from windows, various belongings were scattered over the highway. Vehicles were overturned on their sides or roofs. Whatever happened here was terrible. It gave Charlie chills thinking that if the group hadn't decided to go to the quarry, this could have been their outcome too. There was evidence of rioting, most likely people fighting over what the other brought and didn't want to share. It was devastating to think that human beings would come to such rage in dyer needs.

"This is terrible." Charlie could hear Andrea say and T hum in agreement. Suddenly, a pop came from the engine of the RV along with smoke and a whistling noise. It startled Charlie and Glenn causing them to jump in their seats.

"Damn hose." Dale cursed and stopped the RV before the whole engine blew. The group took this time to exit the rig and stretch their legs. Shane and Rick stood beside the older man as they inspected the damage, guns ready in case there was trouble. The rest of the group just stood by, congregating in the midst of the overturned cars and bit of shade the RV was putting off. Daryl began inspecting the open trunk of a vehicle just at the tip of the RV as Glenn stared on.

"What are you doing?" Glenn asked.

Daryl stopped his movements and turned to the Korean. "Looking for supplies. There's all kinds of stuff we could use here."

"He's right. We should collect what we can." Charlie said as she stepped away from the shade and towards another vehicle to do the same.

"Yeah, siphon more fuel from these cars too for a start." T-Dog realized.

"Maybe some food?" Carol suggested. "Water?"

"This is a grave yard." Lori shook her head, obvious discomfort in pillaging through what remained on the highway. She held Carl protectively close by the shoulders. "I don't know how I feel about this."

Her words and concerns went way over everyone else's for they began looking through cars and taking what was needed. Anything from food to fuel, to water and clothes, even medicines were free game. Dale and Glenn made it a priority to find a radiator hose for the RV to get it fixed in order to get on their way. Charlie walked up a few cars and started from there. Daryl and T were just in front of her starting to take fuel from what was left. She lucked out in the car she was searching through. A few water bottles and some chips and protein bars. Nothing that would last long, but even snack food was a better meal than starving. She moved to look through the front of the car, always remembering she kept at least a small hand gun and pepper spray in her glove box along with some aspirin. Who was to say any of these people were any different. She managed to quietly break into the car and get into the glove box. There was no luck there with anything. Sighing, she scooted out of the vehicle and ran into Daryl.

"Find anythin'?" He asked her as he picked open the jammed gas cap.

"Some food. That's about it. A few clothes." She replied. "You?"

"Workin' on gas." Daryl whistled over to T to come and fill the can up from the car he just popped open. "Everything okay in the rig?"

"Yeah. Quiet actually." Charlie nodded with a small smile. "The ride okay?" Daryl nodded and moved on without another word. Charlie glanced back at the RV and saw that Dale was on watch up top. Glenn was working under the hood and the rest of the group was looking through vehicles. Shane had managed to discover that there was a water delivery truck that wasn't void of it haul, essentially hitting the jackpot in water supply. Charlie was on her way back with her full bag of supplies when she noticed Rick aiming his gun ahead. Dale quickly hit the deck of the RV roof and Charlie took it as a quick sign to take cover herself.

She felt a hand grab her and she let out a small shriek as Daryl pulled her underneath a Ford. He held a finger to his lips to silence her as the first walkers came shuffling in sight. Charlie was shaking in fear, her eyes welling with tears. Daryl gave her arm a gentle squeeze, trying to calm her. She shut her eyes tightly to focus on regulating her breathing and squinting the tears away as he leaned in close enough to where his lips touched her ear and her hair tickled his nose.

"Don't move. Stay quiet." He whispered. He saw the shoes of T-Dog scurry past him along with drips of blood. He knew the man needed help and fast. He leaned into Charlie once again. "I'll be right back. Don't move."

Charlie nodded her head vigorously and felt his weight shift away from her. She opened her eyes to see his boot scurry past the car and away from her. It seemed like forever that she had to wait before the last walker shuffled passed her. She waited a few minutes before coming back to her feet from under the car. When she did so, she saw Daryl toss a walker body aside and stand. They shared a nod as if saying they were each okay before he bent down and Charlie saw him lift T-Dog to his feet. Charlie saw the gash on his arm from where she stood, blood dripping down to the asphalt, staining the ground at their feet and T's shirt.

"Help me get 'im back to the RV." Daryl asked as he helped the injured man under one arm over shoulder. Charlie took her flannel from her waist and held it to T's other arm as they walked back towards the rig and the rest of the group. As they got closer, they noticed Rick take off into the woods at a fast pace. Carol seemed distraught and the rest of the group huddled as Lori tried to comfort the woman.

Daryl and Charlie set T down in the shade of the RV and went over to the group. "What happened?" Charlie asked.

"Two walkers chased Sophia into the woods." Lori replied, Carol too distraught to do so.

"We should help him." Charlie pointed.

"We don't know which way they went. It's best to just wait for Rick to come back." Shane interjected.

Impatiently and sorrowfully, the group waited for Rick to return. It seemed like forever before he finally came up the guard rail and over. He looked around hopefully for the little girl and when his eyes landed on Carol, he knew all too well that Sophia hadn't returned.

"I told her to keep the sun on her shoulder and that would get here here." Rick looked and sounded defeated as Carol broke down beside him. Charlie caught the grieving woman as she collapsed to her knees.

"It's okay. It's gonna be okay." Charlie whispered as Carol cried into her shoulder. "We'll find her." Charlie looked to Daryl who was staring at the two women. Andrea and Lori now began to huddle around the two of them. He nodded as if reading her unspoken request. Charlie knew no other better tracker than Daryl Dixon and if anyone could find that little girl of Carol's it was him.

"We need to go back out there." Rick looked to Shane and to Daryl. Both men nodded. It was important they find her before dark.

As the men; Rick, Daryl, Shane and Glenn took off to find Sophia, Carol sat at the guard rail staring off in the direction they'd traveled. She stood there for a long while, alone until Charlie brought her some water.

"Daryl's the best tracker I've ever met. He'll find her." Charlie spoke softly. "She's a smart little girl, Carol. She knows we're gonna go lookin' for her and they'll find her."

The woman couldn't speak, she only looked in Charlie's direction with a quivering lip. Rusting from the trees startled the both of them and as Charlie reached for the waistband of her pants for her gun, Shane and Glenn broke through the trees.

"Well?" Carol asked.

"Rick and Daryl are on her trail. We'll find her Carol. In the mean time, Charlie, help us move some cars around, keep scavenging for supplies. Let's help Dale get this RV fixed so when we do find her, we can get outta here." Shane nodded his head towards the highway of cars and Charlie looked over her shoulder. She reluctantly nodded and gave Carol a squeeze to the upper arm gently, before walking away to comply with Shane's orders.

Charlie made it a point to check on T-Dog before moving some vehicles. When she did so, she found him sitting inside the RV, his wound still bleeding pretty good. He was using Charlie's flannel as a tourniquet and bandage. "Here, let me get that cleaned up a bit for you." She grabbed the first aid kit from above the sink beside her and sat back next to T-Dog. "You feelin' okay?"

"I'll be alright." T replied. He looked pale for a man with colored skin and Charlie sighed. The wound was deep and they had nothing to stitch him up with.

"In a perfect world, we'd be takin' you to the ER by now. But since this is no longer perfect, not that I'm sure it ever was, this will have to do." Charlie cleaned up the blood that had dripped and oozed all along T's forearm before wrapping it up with a thick piece of gauze and taping it off. "You'd need stitches or even a staple or two if we had the tools."

"Thank you." T sighed. "And thank Daryl for me. If it weren't for him..."

"Don't seem so shocked." Charlie could see the look on the man's face. Daryl thought like Merle, Merle was racist. It didn't take much to spell it out for anyone that it was a rare sight to see Daryl helping someone like T. "With Merle gone, I think we'll start to see bits and pieces of a Daryl that's always existed. I'm just glad he got to you in time."

T nodded in thanks and admiration. "You always see the good in him, don't you? In people."

"I try. It's not always easy. But this is all the family I have left. I lost my dad when all this happened. My mom when I was a kid. Who even knows if she is alive or dead or sitting holed up somewhere, snortin' every last line of coke she could get." Charlie grumbled. "But when my daddy wasn't hittin' the bottle or off with whatever the catch of the week was or runnin' 'round like he was 21 with Daddy Dixon, he was a smart man. Saw the good sometimes even through beer goggles."

"Let's go see what we can help with, huh?" T suggested and wobbled a bit as he stood. Charlie caught him by the good arm and steadied him. They shared a look at first of questioning then acceptance for both knew that with four hands gone, every remaining pair was needed.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I love all the love! Thanks for everything thus far everyone! Enjoy this update! I only own Charlie... - Z

With the sun setting on the Atlanta Survivors along the highway, Carol still stood at her post. She waited and paced nervously along the guard rail. Charlie had checked on her every twenty to thirty minutes or so, just to be sure the poor distraught woman wasn't driving herself mad with grief. She cared about people like that.

It was one of the few things that separated her from the two brothers that rescued her. She had feelings, she could feel for and towards others. Merle and Daryl had one emotion, anger and that usually stood at the foreground when they were together, feeding off of one another's bullshit. It was a sad thing to think, but while she somewhat mourned Merle's missing, Charlie wanted to see what else Daryl was capable of. Already he was showing for more than she expected when it came to looking for Carol's little girl. He had no connection to Sophia other than the fact that they were all apart of the same group. But to Charlie, that meant something. It meant more than something.

"It'll be dark soon. It's getting late." Carol sighed when Charlie went to check on her just before settling into the RV for prepare what they could for dinner.

"I know. They'll be back. Daryl knows it ain't good to look in the dark unless it's necessary. They're gonna find her." Charlie tried to assure the older woman.

"Do you really know him or his skill set that well?" Carol asked. Charlie could feel the anger roll off of the woman. But she didn't let it scald her. Carol's anger was more for the fact that she lost her little girl and she still didn't trust Rick's decisions. She had expressed that well enough back at the CDC and back here they'd found the Vatos.

"I know him better than anyone else here. We lived in the same small town, had a few of the same friends. Our daddies were best friends. I know him well enough." Charlie defended the younger Dixon.

Rustling was heard from the bushes and Charlie froze alongside Carol as Rick and Daryl both emerged from the brush. They looked dirtier, exhausted, and Charlie quickly noticed the blood tinged shirt on Rick and Daryl's pants.

"You didn't find her?" Carol began to whimper.

Daryl shook his head as Rick replied, "Her trail went cold. We'll have to pick it up again at first light." The two men stood at the guard rail as the rest of the group now huddled around the grieving woman.

"You can't leave my baby out there on her own. You can't leave my daughter out there. She...she can't spend the night out there alone in the woods." Carol cried. Lori and Charlie each took one of her hands to steady her in case she lost her footing again.

"Bein' out in the dark's no good. We'll just be trippin' over ourselves." Daryl replied. Charlie was surprised at how soft his voice seemed when he addressed Carol. "More people 'ill just get lost."

"But she's twelve. She can't be alone. She doesn't know how to survive on her own. You didn't find anything?" The breakdown was coming. Carol began swaying back and forth as the emotions started to wrack her frame. She was a frail, grieving woman.

"The best thing right now for anyone is not to panic. We know she was out there." Rick turned himself into the sheriff he once was, trying his best to comfort her.

"Rick's right. We tracked her for a while." Daryl affirmed.

"We have to make this a well organized effort," Rick continued, "Daryl will lead the search party at first light. He knows the woods better than anybody. It's why I asked him to take the lead on this."

"We'll find her." Daryl added.

Carol looked both Rick and him over. She took note of the red discoloration on the both of them. Something she hadn't minded to see when they first arrived back moments ago. "Is that... is that blood? Oh God."

Daryl looked down at his pants and then over to Charlie. He nodded and Carol broke free from Charlie's hold. Rick explained that they'd taken down a walker and had to make sure that it wasn't anywhere near Sophia. Andrea asked the obvious question and Daryl answered the only way he knew.

"We cut the sum bitch open. Made sure."

It was then that Carol lost her footing and sat on the guard rail. "Head between your knees, there ya go." Charlie coached alongside Lori as they once again helped Carol to sit. "Deep breaths. You'll get sick if you hyperventilate."

Carol looked up at Charlie and around her shoulder to Rick. Lori saw it coming as did the blonde with her. Carol was about to unleash on Rick, blame him for Sophia. "How...how could you just leave her out there to begin with? How could you just leave her?" She cried and yelled. She was careful not to scream, but Charlie was sure she wanted to.

"There were two walkers on us. I needed to get them away from her for her to have a chance." Rick defending his decision.

"It sounds like he had no choice, Carol." Shane stepped in and stood by his partner, ready to defend him more if needed. Both Rick and Shane had on their work faces it seemed and were trying to dilute the situation before Carol really lost it. But who could blame her. She lost her little girl and she wasn't sure if she'd ever get her back at this point.

"She's just a child. A little girl. My little girl." Carol sobbed now. "How could..."

Lori pulled the woman into her shoulder to allow her to cry. The group felt the woman's pain. Rick emerged himself in the guilt that Carol continued to throw at him. As Rick left, seemingly to cool off, the rest of the group dispersed themselves. Carl left with Shane, Glenn and Dale went back to fixing the RV and Charlie traded positions with Andrea. She needed to check on T-Dog and start some sort of dinner while Daryl left to see to his things and changing his clothes.

"T-Dog..." Charlie called into the RV. She climbed the few steps inside and found the man sitting at the table. "How ya doin'?"

"Been better. Came in to look for some water, change this bandage." He replied.

Charlie noticed the sheen of sweat on his brow and sighed. "I think there's some water from that water truck Shane found just outside. And here, I'll change that." T placed his arm on the table as Charlie sat across from him, the first aid kit back in her hands. When she was through, T left the RV and Charlie began searching for whatever Glenn had found as a means for supper. It wasn't much. Some snack foods, go figure, and a couple of cans of fruit. It was meager but it would do. The water that Shane had found from the delivery truck was distributed amongst the two remaining vehicles and filled into water bottles and canteens once supper was through. Even though there was a jackpot of it, it was still smart to ration out the liquid gold.

As night fell, Carol remained at her post as long as she could. Staring into the woods in hopes of movement in the trees and brush, hopes of Sophia somehow navigating her way back to the highway. It took some heavy convincing but Lori and Andrea had finally gotten her to eat her portion and come inside for the night. Dale remained on watch, assuring Carol that at the first sight of anything, he'd let her know.

"I'll trade you in a few hours." Shane offered. For now, he'd spend the night in the new car he fixed up.

Daryl and Charlie set up camp in the back of an old truck. Daryl had picked the locks on it for Charlie to sleep in the spacious cab and he took the bed. With everyone else in the RV, it was too cramped to fit two more. Besides, Daryl wasn't sure he could handle hearing Carol's sobs all night. Or the negative comments that were constantly thrown at a man who Daryl was damn sure tried his best to protect that little girl.

It was late in the night when Daryl heard tapping on the window above his head. He looked up from his own fitful sleep and saw Charlie peering out at him. He cocked nodded his head at her, an indication for her to join him in the back of the truck. Quietly, Charlie opened the door to the cab and climbed out. She stepped around to the bed and hopped up on the tail gate, sliding her body back towards Daryl.

"Can't sleep." She whispered.

"Me either." He admitted.

"I'm worried about Sophia. Carol's right. She's only twelve. She has no clue out there." Charlie spoke softly. The sounds of the Georgia night rang in her ears. From the night bugs to the owls, she heard their chirps and calls as she sat next to her saviour, the hunter.

"If she's smart, she'll climb a tree." Daryl shrugged.

Charlie sighed and nodded. The moon was providing light, but not enough for a little girl to make her way through the woods and dense bushes. She knew all too well that the seasons were starting their change and the moon wasn't at it's fullest. She sat in silence a bit staring up at the sky, her knees to her chest. "What happened out there?"

"Like Rick said, we found one of the walkers that chased her off the road." Daryl began his story. "Took it down, cut it open. Damn thing ate a woodchuck, but not girl. We tracked her all over. From the spot Rick left her to run back to here and through the woods. Tracks veered off for one reason or another, then just faded."

"Be honest with me, you think she's alive?" Charlie had to ask. It was just her and Daryl now, no bullshit from others or cynical input.

"Yeah. I do. We'll find her. I ain't got nothin' else to do. Wish I had Merle though. He ain't the best at trackin', not like me but he knows what he's doin' out there and it's better than those two sheriffs." Daryl sighed. Charlie could sense the longing he had for his lost brother.

"You've said it yourself. He's one tough son of a bitch, loaded or not. He's alive out there, raisin' hell for whatever poor sap found him." Charlie laughed a little. "One day we'll find him too."

"We do or we don't. Gotta put it past me." Daryl ran his hands over his face and leaned back into the back of the truck bed. He closed his eyes, thus closing off the conversation any further. Charlie caught on to his aversion sighed herself, settling in. She wasn't sleeping alone. Not since the night before when she'd felt the comfort and security for just his presence. The events at the CDC shook the considerably brave girl, shattering her faith in what remained of humanity and hope. But she by no means would take the easy way out like Andrea had wanted, give up like Jacqui did. No, she still had fight in her and she would fight along side these people, her new family to survive.

Charlie leaned into Daryl and pressed her lips to his cheek. "Goodnight." She whispered softly before tucking herself into the corner of the truck bed and closing her eyes for the night. She didn't notice, nor could see Daryl open his soft blue eyes. They washed over her as her body was bathed in moonlight. With a slight shake of his head, Daryl closed his eyes and called it a night.

Come morning, the group was up and gathered around the hood of a vehicle, figuring a plan for the day. Daryl would lead them into the woods, heading up the search for Sophia. Shane reminded everyone that the only three who'd be carrying a loaded weapon would be himself, Daryl and Rick while on the trail, Dale back at base. Someone needed to stay here on watch and guard in case Sophia returned. Everyone else who had a weapon that required bullets needed to leave it with Dale until everyone had proper training. T volunteered to stay back with Dale and continue to work on the RV. He was in no condition to be going along with the search party. There was plenty of resistance from Andrea about giving up her gun for a knife but Shane shot her down.

"Got a game plan?" Glenn asked as he took an axe looking weapon from the pile on the hood of the vehicle.

"The idea is to take the creek up, about five miles or so, turn around and come back down the other side." Daryl laid out his plan. "Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark." He and Charlie shared a knowing glance. It was just like as kids. Adventures in the woods would always lead to a creek and that creek always took you back home. It was something both their dads had taught them at a young age and before it was too cool to hang out with one another, it was something Daryl would remind her of when they were younger than Carl and Sophia out playing.

Rick looked to Daryl and nodded before speaking his final words, "Stay quiet, stay sharp. Keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other. Dale, keep up on the repairs, we gotta be able to move out of here as soon as possible."

"We won't need to stay here a minute longer than we have to." Dale replied.

"Alright, everyone assemble your packs, let's roll out." Shane gave final instructions and the group split to gather minimal supplies to carry along with them. It would be an entire day of searching if all went as planned and in case they got stuck out past dark, they'd need supplies.

Daryl caught up with Charlie as she placed a few items in her back pack like two water bottles, some jerky she found and a partial first aid kit. "You give Shane your gun yet?" His voice was low and quiet. It gave Charlie a chill across the back of her neck.

"No." She shook her head and spoke just as quietly.

"Don't. We get separated, someone's gonna need a gun." Daryl nodded to her piece as it sat inside her bag. "Keep it the back of your jeans. Cover it with your shirt."

"Alright." Charlie looked around and saw that Shane was occupied and placed the gun in the waistband of her jeans. Her oversized tank top covered it just enough to make it accessible if necessary but hidden from watchful eyes.

"I'm on point but stay close. Not too far back where I can't get to ya if ya need it." He had concern in his voice. Anything could happen out there and he wanted to be sure she was safe no matter what, even if Sophia was a priority. Charlie nodded and Daryl stepped away, whistling for the group to essentially saddle up and head out.

They started out just as Daryl had said they would. Alongside the creek, following a deer trail. Daryl stayed on point, Rick behind him with Charlie leading the women and Glenn. Shane brought up the rear, shot gun in hand. Even Carl was able to join in on the search for his friend. They'd walked for an hour or two at most before Daryl spotted a small tent tucked into the trees. He halted the group with one arm up, fist closed.

"She could be in there." Rick pointed out.

Daryl nodded. "There could be a whole bunch of things in there." He looked to Charlie and nodded his head back, indicating to her to get the others to keep low and stay back while he and Rick crept in on the settlement. Shane came up from the rear and Charlie realized then why Daryl wanted her to keep her gun on her. She held the machete type weapon tightly in one hand while leaving the other free to grab her gun if necessary. The three leaders moved in on the tent, silently, expertly stalking. Charlie watched as Daryl pulled his Bowie free and moved forward, keeping Rick and Shane at bay until he investigated the tent. When he saw nothing that would make a sudden move on him, he signaled for Rick to call Carol over.

"Carol." Rick whispered loudly.

Charlie tapped the woman on the shoulder and walked up with her to the other two men. Rick quietly instructed her to call out to Sophia because if she were inside the tent, she'd respond to her mother's voice over anyone else's.

"Sophia...sweetie?" Carol gently called out. "Are you in there?" Panic began to settle in as no answer came but Carol kept calling. "Sophia, sweetie, we're all here baby. It's Mommy."

Charlie stood with Carol while the rest of the group lingered back. Daryl remained at the tent as Rick and Shane approached for back up. Daryl gently unzipped the doorway and drew the flap open, the sheriffs' guns drawn in case. Charlie kept her weapon at ready. The smell that permeated from the tent once Daryl opened it was beyond nauseating. Shane and Rick began gagging as the hunter stepped inside. Charlie could even smell it from her distance. She held back a gag of her own and waited for any news.

"Daryl..." Charlie called out after a minute or two. The man had been in there too long without a word. All it would have taken was a quick glance to see that the girl was or wasn't in there. She called out to him again and finally Daryl emerged.

"It ain't her." He replied, stepping away from the tent. Carol looked as if she was about to lose it again and thankfully Lori was there to support her.

"So what was it?" CHarlie asked.

"Some guy. Did what Jenner said, 'opted out'." Daryl replied looking at her as he collected his bow. "Ain't that what he called it?" Charlie nodded agreeing with what he was saying before everyone looked to Shane and Rick for the next move. But before they could respond, church bells ringing in the far distance alerted everyone. Rick started off in the direction of the sound and the whole group followed in hot, running pursuit. The sound grew loud and then stopped after a few minutes. The group stopped in a clearing.

"Which way?" Shane hadn't the first clue and it appeared that RIck didn't either.

"I'm pretty sure this way." Rick started walking again in the direction he assumed the bells came from.

"If we can hear them, maybe Sophia can too." Carol was hopeful, very hopeful.

"Someone's ringing those bells. Maybe calling out to others." Glenn added.

Andrea sounded hopeful for the first time in days, "Or someone's signaling that they found her."

"Someone's looking for attention one way or another." Charlie shrugged.

"She could be ringing 'em herself." Rick started off in a run again as the sounds started back up. Again, the group was in a quick jog towards the ringing. Charlie kept close running beside Daryl. She'd catch him glancing at her just to be sure she was there. Charlie brushed off his glances and looked back at the others, making sure they were all together.

The group quickly emerged from the woods in front of an old white country church and cemetery. The bells had stopped ringing and the church was missing the one important thing required for bells, a steeple.

"No steeple." Shane pointed out. "No bells."

"Maybe there's another one nearby." Charlie pointed out. "It's backwoods Georgia, small church houses aren't uncommon."

Rick didn't care, he broke out in a run towards the church house, booking it across the cemetery with gravestones that were sure to date back nearly a hundred years or earlier. Rick and the group cased the building as they came up on the front door. Nothing seemed to be settled in or around the church. Doors and windows weren't boarded up. Rick scaled the front stairs, Daryl and Shane joining him. Daryl flanked Rick's right side and the two men counted to three before throwing the heavy doors open and stepping inside, weapons drawn. Daryl, Rick and Shane saw three walkers sitting in the pews.

The opening of the doors alerted the walkers who'd died during their prayers, their heads turning towards the smell and sound of their next meal. The three men moved forward looking for the stealth approach of attack to take out the trio. There was no need to make noise in case there were more hidden near by. Charlie stood in the doorway, machete aimed and ready in case something snuck up on them, Glenn watching the stairs with Andrea. Lori, Carl and Carol watched the scene inside the church.

The three walkers were executed quietly but not without gore. Two males and one female all dressed in their Sunday best were immediately dispatched while a crucified Jesus looked one. Daryl stepped forward towards the statue, checking between the pews for any surprises. Charlie couldn't catch what he said but he appeared to glance up at the bronzed Saviour and give a slight shake to his head. Rick began yelling for the missing little girl and Shane took it upon himself to drag the new leader down with an argument about a lack of steeple.

If not then by the grace of God, the bells began ringing again and everyone rushed from the inside of the church back outside and around to the side of the white building. Charlie and Glenn were the first ones there. Charlie broke open a gang box to find that the bells were electrical, a recording and set to a timer. Charlie took her knife and cut the power to the speaker.

"It's a timer." Daryl pointed out to the group seeing what was found. "It's a damn timer." He spoke breathlessly.

"I'm gonna go back in for a bit." Carol whimpered. Charlie knew her to be a woman of good faith and nodded at her as she watched her walk away. The blonde woman sighed and looked up at the speaker and then to the gang box.

"Damn." She whispered and shook her head. With both her knife and machete in hand, she set her fists on her hips and looked to the sky. She had no comment but looked back ahead of her and moved to step back into the church. She wasn't too big on faith but believed. She never had the time to attend church, always working at the bar, but she knew her prayers and thanked the Good Lord for the life she did have, no matter how meager it was. Her daddy's bar wasn't always the most honest, most profitable, but it gave them a somewhat stable life more times than not. She couldn't always say the same about the man beside her.

She looked to Daryl who didn't look comfortable nor uncomfortable in a church pew. He sat there silently, elbows on his knees, hands folded, left thumb prodding at his lower lip. Nope, Charlie knew Daryl didn't always have a bike to ride, a decent meal on the table or proper clothes on his back. It was why the Dixons were always on the honor system with her dad and the bar. Will would bring the boys in occasionally for a free meal or drinks, buddying up with her dad. They never took advantage of the situation it seemed, not at least until Merle was older. Then he would, but Charlie always gave favors to Daryl. Still a free meal or drinks. It wasn't out of pity or charity, it was because she honestly liked him and cared for him as a friend. Sometimes more.

"I thought for sure we'd find her here." Charlie broke the silence. Daryl's eyes glanced to her, but his body remained forward. He gave a slight nod, agreeing with her and stood from his spot. Charlie grabbed his hand quickly, just barely grazing his fingers. "Please, just sit."

He didn't know why she was asking him, but he felt compelled to do as she asked. Charlie let go of his fingers and he sat down. Together, they looked forward, watching as Carol spoke to the statue, talking to God.

"Father, please forgive me. I don't deserve your mercy. I prayed for safe passage from Atlanta and you provided. I prayed for Ed to be punished. For laying his hands on me and for looking at his daughter like he did. Whatever sickness was going on in his soul, I prayed you'd put a stop to it. Give me a chance to raise her right, help her not make my mistakes. She's so fearful," Carol began to cry, her voice barely audible as she continued. "She's so young in her way, she hasn't had a chance. Praying for Ed's death was a sin, please, don't let this be my punishment. Let her be safe, alive and safe. Please Lord. Punish me however you want, but show mercy on her."

Charlie felt the pain in the woman's prayers. The sadness and sorrow. It brought tears to her eyes. A large on trickled down her face and she sniffled to clear them away. His touch was subtle, hidden, but it was the best he could do. His knee leaned into hers and stayed there. Sadly, Charlie looked to Daryl and gave him a sad, red and puffy eyed smile. It wasn't even a smile, it was a slight curl of the corners of her mouth. Then he stood and left her, to give her the space she seemingly needed.

Charlie watched Carol as she took a seat next to Lori. Her heart felt heavy and deeply saddened. With a deep sigh she stood and looked over her shoulder. She caught a glance of Daryl in the doorway with Glenn, looking out over the cemetery. She looked back to the statue from her spot in the pew and side stepped out. Slowly, she walked up to the figure and looked up to his head, hanging low in crucifiction.

"Thank you for bringing him to me. I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him or Merle. Thank you Daddy, for not forgetting about me. Please, Lord, I'm not good at this stuff, but I pray that you help us find Sophia. I pray that you keep her safe and warm, alive. I pray you watch over Merle, wherever that foolish bastard is." Charlie bit her tongue at her choice in words and continued, "Sorry." She sighed. "I just pray there is something' better for us out there. I'm not the best at keepin' in touch with you, but these people need all the help we can get right now." Charlie bowed her head and whispered, "Thanks."

Turning on her heel, she twitched her lips up to Carol and gave her a small nod. Carol and Lori looked at her with what best could be described as a look of thanks and sadness. Then Charlie left the church, walking out behind Rick and Daryl. Glenn and the two women following behind. The group all gathered at the edge of the cemetery under a large willow tree.

"You good?" Daryl asked. Charlie nodded as Shane spoke up.

"Y'all are gonna follow the creek bed back, Okay. Daryl, you're in charge." Shane spoke quickly but firmly. "Me and Rick are just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so, just ot be thourough."

"You're splittin' us up?" Daryl question the tactic. "Are you sure?" It went against everything Rick had originally wanted.

"Yep." Shane nodded firmly. "We'll catch up to you."

"I want to stay too." Carl stepped forward. "I'm her friend."

Shane, Lori and Rick all looked to one another and it was Lori who made the deciding factor. "Just be careful, okay? Listen to your dad and Shane." Carl nodded and Lori hugged him close.

Rick offered Lori his gun but she refused, not wanting to leave her husband unarmed. It was then that Daryl stepped forward with a small pistol he had concealed. Charlie cocked her head at him and she noticed Andrea all pissy about Lori having a gun and Daryl having had one and yet she was still without hers. Charlie decided to keep to herself that she had one still on her persons as well, so as not to rile up the other blonde any more.

Those that were following Daryl began walking away with him as Shane, Rick and Carl stayed back. It would be a long walk back along the creek and it was best to get back before dark. Charlie trusted that Shane and Rick knew what they were doing and she hoped they'd soon return with the little girl by their side.

"So where'd that come from?" Charlie asked quietly as she walked alongside Daryl through the woods once again.

"Found it on that body in the tent." He replied. He looked over his shoulder and then glanced at Charlie. "You still got yours?"

"Yep." Charlie nodded, readjusting her pack. "So, uh...you like this bein' in charge thing?"

"Shut up." Daryl grumbled and kept walking. "Don't get used to it."

"You don't get used to it." Charlie smirked.

Daryl wouldn't admit it, but he enjoyed her walking along with him in his realm. The woods were more his home than his own bed in the trailer park. He felt a sense of pride being able to lead the group back to the highway, but even more so the fact that Charlie was by his side. He couldn't put an emotion to it or words, but Daryl just felt better, more at ease any time Charlie was around these days. He felt as if he didn't have to hide behind Merle or sit secluded in the corner of the bar. If anything, Daryl Dixon was built for the apocalypse, and if he could figure it out and play it right, the king that he was, could find his queen in the blonde on his right.

Daryl, Glenn, Charlie, Carol, Lori and Andrea all walked in silence back towards the creek. Every now and then they'd say something or Daryl would bend down to look at some tracks along the woodsy floor. They'd walked for an hour or a bit more before Daryl stopped the group to take a small break. An overturned tree trunk made for a good sitting place.

"So this is it, this is the whole plan?" Carol huffed as she sat down on the trunk.

Daryl shrugged. "I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups."

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks." Andrea added bitterly and full of sarcasm. "I see you have a gun." She directed to Lori.

"Why, you want it?" Lori pulled the weapon from the waistband of her pants. "Here, take it." She thrust the handle of it into Andrea's hand but the blonde didn't take the bait. "I'm sick of the looks you're giving me." Andrea scoffed and took the gun. Charlie sighed and moved to take hers from her waistband so Lori had something a little extra but Daryl grunted, halting her.

Lori turned to Carol, "Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through and I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him. When Sophia ran, he didn't hesitate did he? No, not for a single second. I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did. Or made the hard decisions that he had to make or that anybody could have done it any differently. Anybody?" Lori looked to the others for a reply. Something that would prove her theory wrong and not a single one of them spoke up.

Daryl shamefully looked down as if he were guilty for not even trying himself to go after the girl but the truth of it was that he wasn't sure it would have done any better. He was already too far down the way to catch up with Rick and help chase after Sophia. Sure he could have tracked them both, but he had to choose Sophia or T and with T-Dog bleeding out from his wound, T was the better option. Rick had Sophia in his mind.

Charlie sensed the apprehension and felt for the man. He took it upon himself to feel responsible for not getting much farther in the search for Carol's little girl. It was quickly written on his face now and more so in the silence between just the two of them. The night before, Charlie could see the exhaustion and remorse on Daryl's face.

When no one spoke up, Lori continued on her rant, "Y'all look to him and then you blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, you go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you." She pulled her water bottle from her back pack and took a drink, ending her rant, protecting her husband.

Charlie watched as Andrea handed Lori back her gun and nodded in approval. Andrea suggested we keep moving and with that Lori stood, took the gun back and the group remained silent. Daryl led the way again, Charlie beside him, Lori, Carol and Andrea with Glenn bringing up the rear. The same rules applied as to when they moved out as far as they had in the beginning. Stay within sight, but far enough to look for signs.

They were nearly a mile or two from the highway when a loud gun shot rang out. Charlie and Daryl looked to one another and stared. That was not a good sign at all.

"Shot gun." Charlie whispered.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thank you so much to all the new follows and reviews, kudos and more. Here is the latest update. It's a little long, so consider it a treat for how long it's taken me to finish this! Happy Decebmer! I only own Charlie! - Z

"We need to keep moving." Daryl encouraged the group. "Might not 've been them." He started ahead and Glenn followed along with Andrea and Carol. Charlie hung back a second with Lori.

"C'mon. He's right." Charlie nudged her. "All we can do is move on, wait for them at the highway."

Lori sighed deeply. She took a long look in the distance and turned to walk with the rest of the group. They walked another few miles and Lori turned back, stalling as the rest of the group moved forward. Charlie noticed they were down a member and nudged at Daryl to stop.

"Still thinking about it?" Andrea asked.

"That was a gunshot." Lori reminded everyone. "As far as we know we're the only ones out here. It had to be them."

"We all heard it." Daryl remarked. Charlie rolled her eyes at how quickly he could flip an insensitive switch.

"Why one? Why just one gun shot?" Lori allowed the last few miles to obviously stir up her raw emotions.

"Maybe they took down a walker?" Daryl snarkly replied. He didn't care, he was in charge of getting those with him back to the highway. Rick and Shane, at Shane's request, hung back to keep searching. The was an endless list of all things possible.

"Please don't patronize me. You know damn well that Rick wouldn't risk a gun shot to take down a walker. Or Shane. They'd do it quietly." Lori raged.

Carol shrugged at Daryl, "Shouldn't they have caught up to us by now?"

"There's nothin' we can do about it anyway. We'd be runnin' around these woods chain' echoes." Daryl was reasoning with her but he was coming off brash.

"So what do we do?" Lori asked.

"Same as we been doin'. Beat the bush for Sophia, make our way back to the highway." Daryl responded.

"I'm sure they'll hook back up with us." Charlie tried to calm the situation. The tension was building between everyone. Lori was right, it was a worrying sound but Daryl was right too, they could do nothing but continue on their path. Charlie's empathetic eyes were what moved Lori on. She brushed passed the blondes and Carol, then followed Daryl and Glenn. Charlie moved forward but Andrea spoke with Carol briefly, pausing the group.

"I'm sorry for what you're going through." The former attorney spoke empathetically to the grieving mother. "I know how you feel."

Charlie scoffed as she heard Andrea's words. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at Daryl. He just raised his brows and shrugged.

"I suppose you do." Carol replied tearfully. "The thought of her out here, by herself. It's the not knowing that's killing me. I just keep hoping and praying she doesn't end up like Amy."

"Chalk one for the mother." Charlie whispered and Glenn smirked. Daryl grunted in approval. Andrea's look sealed the sting of Carol's words.

She bleakly nodded and replied, "We're all hoping and praying along with you. For what it's worth."

"I'll tell you what it's worth." Daryl stepped forward. 'Here we go.' Charlie thought. "Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time all this hopin' and prayin'. 'Cause we're gonna locate that little girl and she's gonna be just fine." He scoffed. "Am I the only one zen around here? Good Lord."

Daryl began walking away from the women, determined to get back to the highway now. He was out too long hearing a bunch of women whine and piss and moan. Sure there were justifiable complaints and concerns but he had one job and that was to get the group back. Look for Sophia on the way. The group began to hike through the woods once again, all in search of the girl. Charlie had found her way back up to the front with Daryl.

"Zen?" Charlie questioned. "I'm shocked you know the meaning."

"I'm smarter than I look." Daryl growled.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just glad I finally get to see it." Charlie countered. It was diss on Merle but Daryl couldn't argue with her. He knew she was right and Charlie knew he knew she was right. He was quick to drop the comments.

Silence crossed over the group as they traveled back towards the highway. They couldn't have been more than a hundred yards when they heard a scream. At some point, Andrea had been watching her feet and not the group. She managed to veer off the path a bit and found herself face to face with a walker. Daryl and Charlie were quick to race back towards the scream with the rest of the group hot behind them. When they found her, Andrea was back pedaling on her hands and ass as the walker was hovering over her, jaws wickedly snapping.

Daryl fired an bolt and it surprisingly missed. As he went to reload, some girl on a blonde gelding rode up and struck the walker with a bat, caving it's skull in, sending it to it's final death. As the girl on the horse pulled back on the reigns to halt the horse, she called out for Lori.

"Lori, Lori Grimes?" The girl had short chin length hair and spoke with a southern accent.

"I'm Lori." Lori replied breathlessly as they stopped alongside the horse. Glenn and Charlie continued on to help Andrea up from her state of panic on the woodsy ground.

"Rick sent me. You gotta come now." The girl stated firmly. "There's been an accident. Carl's been shot. He's still alive, but you gotta come now." Charlie watched the color drain from Lori's face as the horror and fear of her son's fate sunk in quickly. "Rick needs you, just come."

Lori quickly took her backpack off and let it fall to the ground and saddle the horse as Daryl protested. "Whoa, we don't know this girl. You can't get on that horse."

"Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl. Backtrack to Fairburn Road, two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox, the name is Greene." The girl kicked the horse into a full run and just as quickly as she appeared, she was gone. With Lori holding tightly on the back.

"Let's get back and see if that RV is runnin'." Charlie grabbed Lori's pack from the ground and flung it over her shoulder. "And fast."

The group was already walking and they were losing the light. Daryl was right, it was by a crows flight a hundred yards from the highway. As they came up over the guardrail, Glenn announced that Carl had been shot before Dale could inquire about missing the Grimes family and Shane.

"Shot? What do you mean shot?" Dale approached them, rifle in hand. T-Dog remained in the shade of the RV sitting on it's steps.

"I don't know Dale. I wasn't there. All I know is that this chick rode up like Zoro and took Lori."

Dale was in shock. So much yet so little transpired so quickly in the time they were gone. It seemed to the old man that Daryl was left in charge and naturally he lashed out at him. "You just let her go?"

"Climb down outta my asshole, man. Rick sent her. She knew Lori's name and Carl's." Daryl aggressively walked passed Dale and the man with the bucket hat looked at Charlie for affirmation. She nodded confirming Glenn and Daryl's story.

He quickly turned his attentions to Andrea who brushed him off horribly. "I heard screams, was that you?"

"She got attacked by a walker." Glenn replied for her. "It was a close call."

"Andrea," Dale called out. "Are you alright?" His question went without answer as Andrea just entered the RV, not a look back.

Charlie left the three remaining at the guard rail, heading for Daryl's bike to speak to him. He handed her a bottle of water and she took it quietly, dropping the two bags she carried at her feet. She sipped a sip or two and went to hand the bottle back to him but he brushed her off. "I wonder what happened."

"Carl got shot." He replied with a snarl as if Charlie was asking an obviously stupid question.

"Don't do that. Don't crawl back in there." Charlie shook her head. "What happened is not your fault or in your control. We did what you needed us to do. We're back at the highway."

"Still no girl." He scoffed.

"I know. We have tomorrow." Charlie took a bandana she had in her pack and wet it, applying the damp fabric to her neck and face. She wiped away the grime before speaking again. "I'll see if Dale has that thing runnin' and check on T. Let you cool off."

Charlie grabbed the two bags and carried them by their top handle back to the RV, her bottle of water in her other hand. Daryl watched her walk away and grunted when she was out of ear shot. He didn't realize how he was trying to control his breathing. The way Charlie had been wiping her sweat and dirt streaked skin with that bandana stirred something primal within him and he had to shake off the unfamiliar feelings. 'Damn woman.' He thought as she disappeared into the RV.

"Hey T. How ya doin'?" Charlie asked as she set the bags down on the table and looked to the man sitting there. Charlie could hear Andrea in the bathroom crying and cleaning herself up.

"Hurts." Was all T responded with but Charlie shot him a look for a better answer. "I got some aspirin. Found it in one of the cars. And some smokes." He seemed to smile with that thought.

"Care to share?" Charlie giggled. "Let me check that bandage."

"Please don't. It hurts too much." T replied. "But I will give you one of these." T reached for the pack on the table but crippled over in pain. Charlie reached for him but he brushed her off, his mood clearly changing and he stepped out of the RV. Charlie went after him and saw that he'd taken up a spot on the back bumper of the RV.

"Leave him be." Dale spoke up seeing them. "He needs medical attention. He's got blood poisoning. Best we can do is aspirin and hydration."

"No. We can get to that farm. Rick wants us there anyway." Glenn stated seeing how much bad shape T-Dog was really in.

"I won't do it. We can't just leave." Carol protested.

"We're scattered, weak. We need to get back to the others." Dale argued.

"How dare you? What if she comes back and we're not here? She would have no idea where to go, how to find us." Carol argued. "It could happen."

Charlie saw Carol's point. While it was a good idea to get back to this farm where Rick and the others were, that still left Sophia alone. "If she came back and we were gone..."

Daryl thought for a moment. "Okay. We got a plan this. I say tomorrow mornin' is soon enough to pull up stakes. Gives us a chance to rig up a big sign, leave her some supplies. I'll hold here tonight, stay with the RV. The rest should head to the farm."

"If the RV is stayin' so am I." Dale turned his tables. Carol was grateful that they'd changed their minds and decided to stay so quickly. Her plea sounded depressing enough. Andrea shrugged in agreement as she really had no other option. Charlie was already a shoe in.

"Well if you're all staying..." Glenn spoke up again.

"No, you need get T back there. He needs help. Maybe they have antibiotics or somethin'." Charlie shook her head.

"Yeah, I'd agree. You can take Carol's Cherokee." Dale added.

"Why is it always me?" Glenn protested. He seemed to be getting tired of being the errand boy.

Charlie watched Daryl as Glenn and Dale argued over nonsense. It was as if a light bulb had gone off in his head. He went to the bike and sifted through the saddle bags, pulling a bag of pill bottles from it. He grabbed a rag that was resting on the handle bars as he walked back up to Charlie, tossing the bag on to of the hood of the Cherokee. "Keep your rags off my brother's bike." He threw the rag at Dale and began sifting through the bag in search of a specific bottle. "Why'd you wait until now to say anything? I had my brother's stash."

"Why'd you wait until now to bring it up?" Charlie defended Dale. Daryl's eyes shot over to her quickly and then back to his task.

"Crystal, X; don't need that." He pulled a bottle from the bag. "Got some kick ass pain killers." He shook a bottle towards Dale who shook his head. It wasn't what they were looking for. "Oxycycline, and not the generic stuff neither. That's first class. Merle got the clap on occasion." He tossed the antibiotics and pain killers to Dale who caught them and walked away.

Charlie glanced back over her shoulder at the retreating man and looked back to T. She smiled at Dale warmly. "C'mon. You get him those and I'll help Glenn pack up the Cherokee."

"What's Daryl doin'?" Carol asked. Charlie looked down the road.

"Probably lookin' for more stuff for Sophia. Ya know, for us to leave behind." Charlie stated and went back about her business. They were losing the light and it would be more dangerous to search through the cars in the dark. If they were going to collect anything else, it needed to be done now. She and Glenn made sure that his things, along with Shane's and the Grimes' family's were loaded into the Cherokee and whatever T had left.

Darkness had fallen and Dale urged them to get going to the farm. "You know where you're going?"

"Back to the small road and two miles down, mail box says Greene." Glenn replied. Dale nodded. Charlie helped T get situated in the passengers seat and closed the door on him.

"Go as quickly as you can." She spoke to Glenn with sad eyes. Even though the antibiotics were consumed, T's fever still remained and his was in pain, pain killers or not. Glenn nodded and started up the Cherokee. He pulled off slowly at first and then once he was clear of the snarl his speed increased. The tail lights were gone soon thereafter.

"Everyone should get some rest. We're out at first light." Daryl charged. Andrea and Carol nodded. The poor woman was in tears again, another night closing in with her little girl lost in the woods still. The two women lead the way into the RV, Charlie not far behind. She heard Dale offer first watch before stepping into the rig. Carol took leave on the bed in the back. Andrea sat at the table cleaning and reassembling her gun while Charlie laid on the small couch. She didn't feel sleep coming on any time soon.

Daryl came in and caught eyes with the two women before tossing his pack down on the ground just above Charlie's feet and laid down on the floor. He could hear Carol's sobs and tried his best to close his eyes and ignore it. Charlie rolled to her side, hands just under her head. Her eyes cast down to see some stunning blue orbs staring back at her. A weak and sad smile twitched at her lips and Daryl moved his hands to behind his head. They stared at one another until the hunter could take the stare of the pretty girl near him no more. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. But it didn't last more than minutes, the peacefulness. Between the clicking coming from Andrea and the sobs from Carol, it was a general unrest for Daryl and he was quick to sit up and kick the couch with the toe of his boot. Charlie opened her eyes, not finding sleep herself and looked to him with questioning eyes.

He stood and she sat up. Charlie watched him grab his crossbow and shoulder it before turning to look at her. A silent request it seemed for her to join him maybe. At least Charlie took it as that and stood herself. She grabbed her pack and stuffed her flannel inside. Daryl asked Andrea for his loaded gun clip and she willingly complied. He turned to Charlie and spoke in a low, deep tone. "I'm gonna walk the road, look for the girl." She nodded and he cocked his head to the side confirming he wanted her to join him.

The two soon left the RV with Dale's curious and watchful eye. "We're gonna go walk to road. Shine light into the woods. If she's out there, it'll give her somethin' to look at."

"You think that's a good idea right now?" Dale asked worried.

"Dale..." Andrea called from the steps of the rig. It was her way of silencing the constant annoyance that he had become to her. "Just let them go."

"We'll be alright." Charlie assured the old man on watch. He nodded reluctantly and stood to his full height, rifle back in hands and eyes scanning in the dark by moonlight. Daryl and Charlie continued on down the road a bit until Daryl hung a right and headed into the woods.

"C'mon." He whispered to Charlie. He reached for her over the guard rail and she took his hand, accepting the help in the dark. With flashlights shinning along their path and the moon supplying the rest of the light through the trees, quietly, the two walked along a deer trail.

They walked a bit in silence before Charlie sighed. "You really think we'll find her?"

"Not you too." Daryl shone the light on her face and she flinched from the brightness. "Now you've got that look on your face, same as everybody else. The hell is wrong with you? We just started lookin'. It ain't the mountains of Tibet, it's Georgia. You know she could be holled up in a farm house somewhere. People get lost, they survive. It happens all the time."

"Jesus, it was just a question. Calm down." Charlie sighed. "You've been all uptight today."

"I ain't uptight, just gettin' shit done." Daryl defended himself.

"Well look a little less like your strainin' to take a shit. You always scowl." Charlie smirked, she knew she had him. Daryl scoffed at her with a small smirk and a roll of the eyes she was sure. He had no return pun or comment so she moved on. "You know you probably saved T's life tonight with those meds from Merle."

"Ya well the asshole's gonna be pissed when he finds out I dipped into his stash to help someone like T-Dog." Daryl retorted. Charlie shook her head.

"You have it in you to be better. You're just as good as any of those guys up there. Stop tryin' to tell yourself differently." She sighed. "If anything or anyone I'd say I know you best, at least I think I do."

Daryl swallowed hard and chewed on his bottom lip. He spit real quick and sighed. "You remember when I got lost when we were kids?"

"Vaguely." Charlie fell instep with Daryl. "We were what about 6, maybe 8?"

"About that, maybe 10." Daryl shrugged. I was gone nine days, eatin' berries and wipin' my ass with poison oak. No one came lookin'. The old man was off on some bender with one of your dad's girls, Merle was doin' another stint in juvie. They didn't even know I was gone. I made my way back though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. I was no worse for wear, 'cept my ass itched somethin' awful." Daryl retold the story he knew Charlie had probably heard a few times.

"Then straight over to my house so you could get fixed up." Charlie smirked. She remembered it all to well. Then remembered how much trouble Daryl was in when his dad returned and found him all swelled up and itching from the leaves. "All laughs aside, she's only 12, and probably with no sense of all this out here."

"Difference is between her and I, is that Sophia's got people lookin' for her. I'd call that an advantage." Daryl sighed. He knew when he was lost as a kid there was no hope in anyone trying to find him or caring to look. Charlie didn't even realize at the time that he was gone. By then his mom had already died making him alone in the world when careless pricks like his dad and brother didn't give a shit about their third mouth to feed.

"No, she has you looking for her." Charlie complimented him. Daryl felt the blush creep into his skin. She knew him enough but well enough to know how much her words affected him. Compliments like that were few and far if ever in his life.

They walked a bit further until Daryl held up a hand to stop Charlie from continuing on. A rustling sounded again and Daryl led the way towards the sound, his bow ready. Charlie held the light as his line of sight along the ground. They came upon an small single tent campsite that looked to be decently established. Set up nicely. There was no one on the ground but there in the tree was a man hanging. He'd turned and was no a reanimated corpse looking like a pinata.

"What the hell?" Daryl and Charlie both shone their light on the body and the tree it hung from. Charlie felt her stomach turn slightly and making her knees just a little weak. Daryl shone his light on the lowe half of the man and turned up his nose himself. He stepped closer and read the sigh tacked to the trunk. "Got bit. Fever hit. World went to shit. Might as well quit. Dumbass didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head. Turned himself into a big swingin' piece of bait. Look at that mess!" He turned his head over his shoulder just as he heard Charlie expel whatever was in her stomach. She wretched a second time and still only bile came up. The stomach acid burning her throat as it did. "You alright?" He asked slightly concerned. Charlie nodded and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Not much there?"

"Nope." Charlie croaked. Her eyes traveled up the area Daryl had just previously described and swallowed hard again, feeling the bile try to escape a third time. "Maybe that farm will give us a better meal than beans and canned mush."

"I seen you give more of your share to the kids. You gotta eat too. That's the one thing these walkers and us have in common." Daryl commented looking between her and the walker again. He reached in her bag and handed her the bottle of water. "I can't always be lookin' out for ya and I ain't gonna babysit ya on dumb shit like makin' sure you're eatin'. We all have rations, eat and drink all of yours. I ain't got nothin' here. Can't lose you too." His words stunned her. It was an admission she wasn't expecting even in the slightest. Charlie sipped on the water and tossed it back in her pack. "You mean those things you been sayin?"

Charlie watched the walker struggle to reach for them, to take a bite only to survive. "An arrow for an answer?" Daryl didn't hesitate. He fired his arrow true. "I mean every word I've ever said to you. I care, I've always cared. Never once do you have to think you're alone here. Got it?" He gave her a single nod and started to walk back in the direction the came. Charlie sighed and started to walk behind him. He wouldn't be easy to get through but this was a start. He was paying attention to her and her words and that was what mattered. For Daryl to know that he mattered to people, to her, that was what was important.


End file.
